ITOBIOGRAPHY 

SAMUEL  SMILES 


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.<'   »>^/(!^' 


>>\  .-^A 


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LIBRARY 


University  of  California. 

Class  SG^I 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF 
SAMUEL  SMILES,  LL.D. 


THE 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF 
SAMUEL  SMILES,  LL.D. 


EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MACKAY 

AUTHOR   OF  THE   **LIFE   OF  SIR   JOHN   FOWLER*' 


WITH  PORTRAITS 


NEW   YORK 
E.   P.   BUTTON   AND  COMPANY 
19Q5 


H 


«*!  Ml  »— 


iSvLV 


Printed  in  Great  Britain. 


*'  The  history  of  a  man's  own  hfe  is,  to  himself,  the 
most  interesting  history  in  the  world.  Every  man  is 
an  original  and  solitary  character.  None  can  either 
understand  or  feel  the  book  of  his  own  life  like  him- 
self. The  lives  of  other  men  are  to  him  dry  and 
vapid  when  set  beside  his  own." 

— Cecil's  Remains. 


"  In  old  age  alone  we  are  masters  of  a  treasure  of 
which  we  cannot  be  deprived,  the  only  treasure  we 
can  call  our  own.  The  pleasures  of  memory,  and 
the  retrospect  of  the  varied  images  which  in  an  active 
life  have  floated  before  the  mind,  compensate,  and 
more  than  compensate,  for  the  alternate  pleasures 
and  cares  of  active  life." 

— Sir  Archibald  Alison. 


213662 


'^ms 


PREFACE 

The  followlngf  pages — the  autobiography  of  a  man 
whose  books  have  been  sold  by  hundreds  of  thousands 
in  his  own  country,  and  translated  into  every  languagfe 
of  Europe,  and  into  most  of  those  of  Asia  and 
America — require  no  apology  other  than  that  which 
the  author  himself  has  seen  fit  to  set  down  in  the 
opening  paragraphs  of  his  work.  The  life,  as  con- 
ceived and  chronicled  by  himself,  of  an  author  whose 
thoughts  have  arrested  and  held  the  attention  of  more 
than  a  generation  of  readers,  cannot  fail  to  be  of 
interest,  even  when,  as  in  the  present  case,  there  is 
nothing  eventful,  apart  from  the  writing  of  his  books, 
to  be  recorded. 

Dr  Smiles'  first  book  was  published  in  1836,  and 
he  continued  to  write  till  nearly  the  close  of  the 
century.  The  period  of  his  literary  labours,  therefore, 
is  almost  exactly  coincident  with  the  reign  of  the  late 
Queen  Victoria,  the  age  pre-eminently  of  mechanical 
invention.  Dr  Smiles'  achievement  is  that  by  common 
consent  he  is  recognised  as  the  authorised  and  pious 
chronicler  of  the  men  who  founded  the  industrial 
greatness  of  England. 

His  works,  therefore,  have  a  historical  value  pecu- 
liarly their  own.  They  are  a  storehouse  of  facts, 
gathered  not  so  mucR  from  books  as  from  intercourse 
with    the   living   actors    in    the    events   which   he 

vii 


viii  PEEFACE 

chronicles,  and  from  inquiry  made  on  the  scene  of 
their  labours.  He  has  thus  rescued  from  oblivion 
many  incidents  in  the  lives  of  the  great  Engineers 
which  would  have  been  irretrievably  lost,  but  for  his 
pious  and  enthusiastic  care. 

Nor  is  the  monument  which  he  has  raised  to  their 
memory  a  mere  collection  of  dry-as-dust  facts. 
Leaving  the  technical  details  to  the  text-books,  and 
to  the  records  of  scientific  societies,  he  has  introduced 
his  heroes  to  a  wider  public,  and  made  them  live  again 
in  his  pages.  His  was  a  new  departure  in  biography. 
He  saw  that  the  everyday  work  of  applied  science  had 
its  romance.  He  grasped  the  fact  that  the  million 
had  become  readers,  and  required  to  be  amused  as 
well  as  instructed.  This,  from  the  literary  point  of 
view,  is  his  great  merit,  and  entitles  him  to  be  enrolled 
in  the  honourable  company  of  story-tellers.  Apart 
from  the  historical  value  of  his  biographies,  they  are 
told  in  a  manner  so  vivacious  and  dramatic  that  they 
have  proved  themselves  irresistibly  attractive  to  young 
and  old  in  all  countries  of  the  world.  Both  in  regard 
to  the  interest  of  the  theme  commemorated,  and  the 
literary  skill  with  which  it  is  presented,  the  Life  of 
George  Stephenson  has  made  good  its  right  to  rank  as 
an  English  classic.  In  that  volume  and  in  the  Lives 
of  the  Engineers,  the  didactic  element  is  less  pro- 
nounced than  in  other  of  his  works,  and,  for  this 
reason  perhaps,  they  will  be  for  some  readers  more 
completely  enjoyable. 

At  the  same  time  the  great  popularity  of  the  more 
professedly  didactic  books,  such  as  Self  Help,  Thrift, 
Duty,  is  in  itself  a  noteworthy  and  characteristic 
episode  in  the  second  half  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
In  more  than  one  passage  in  the  following  pages, 
and  also  in  the  preface  prefixed  to  the  later  editions  of 


PEEFACE  ix 

Self- Help,  Dr  Smiles  has  noticed  the  remarks  of 
those  who  charge  him  with  an  excessive  adulation  of 
mere  success.  Such  criticism  seems  to  recoil  on  those 
who  level  it  at  Dr  Smiles.  The  whole  point  of  his 
philosophy  is  that  good  work  can  be  done,  character 
and  independence  built  up,  and  happiness  preserved, 
amid  humble  surroundings,  and  notwithstanding  the 
absence  of  worldly  success.  A  materialistic  view  of  life 
must  rather  be  imputed  to  those  who  are  contemptuous 
of  the  merely  spiritual  triumphs  ascribed  by  him  to 
the  virtues  of  patience  and  thrift,  because  they  have 
based  their  hopes  of  progress  on  organic  changes  with 
which  Dr  Smiles  rightly  or  wrongly  has  shown  no 
sort  of  sympathy.  His  apology  is  perhaps  unneces- 
sary, but  the  reader's  attention  is  directed  to  a  pass- 
age in  this  autobiography  which  seems,  by  anticipa- 
tion, to  vindicate  even  more  amply  than  the  later 
apology  of  the  preface  to  Self-Help,  the  high-minded 
liberality  of  his  attitude.  On  page  1 3 1  of  this  volume 
the  autobiographer  has  incorporated  a  long  quotation 
from  The  Education  of  the  Working'  Classes,  the 
lecture  delivered  in  1845,  which  grew  in  time  by 
expansion  and  addition  into  his  volume  on  Self-Help. 
The  passage  quoted  contains  a  plain  and  dignified 
statement  of  the  advantages  of  education  to  the 
poorer  class.  The  man  who  entered  on  his  exposi- 
tion of  the  Arts  of  Thriving  in  this  admirable  spirit 
must  be  acquitted  by  every  impartial  critic  of  harbour- 
ing an  unworthy  and  sordid  reverence  for  mere 
worldly,  success.  If  any  further  vindication  were 
necessary,  it  is  to  be  found  in  his  own  use  of  his  talent 
for  biography.  He  might,  as  he  tells  us,  have  been 
biographer  in  general,  and  have  set  up  a  factory  of 
biography  on  a  large  scale.  This  prospect,  lucrative 
as  it  must  have  been,  he  deliberately  declined,  and 


X  PREFACE 

preferred  to  follow  his  own  bent.  His  work  displays 
everywhere  the  excessive  and  genuine  pleasure  which 
he  took  in  rescuing-  forgotten  worthies  from  oblivion, 
and  in  recording  the  obscure  labours  of  humble 
enthusiasts  who  had  found  happiness  and  independ- 
ence in  the  pursuit  of  some  by-path  of  knowledge. 

Though  a  Scotsman  by  birth,  Dr  Smiles  took 
apparently  little  interest  in  metaphysics.  He  is 
interested  in  the  man,  his  friend  Samuel  Brown 
(Alchemist  Brown  as  he  was  called  by  his  contem- 
poraries), but  very  little  in  his  speculations ;  and  the 
same  intensely  practical  turn  of  mind  controls  his 
whole  outlook  into  life.  Accordingly,  we  find  nowhere 
any  deliberate  appreciation  of  modern  socialism  and 
its  teaching.  Robert  Owen  and  his  ''spinning  jenny 
of  a  universe"  (see  p.  io6)  seem  too  far  removed  from 
practical  life  to  merit  more  than  a  passing  notice.  He 
conceived  from  the  first  that  the  fundamental  bases  of 
society  were  permanent,  and  his  happy  optimism  was 
content  with  the  situation.  In  the  quotation  which 
he  cites  from  his  early  lecture,  and  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made,  he  says,  "My  object  in  citing 
these  instances,"  and  we  may  here  interpolate  that 
this  remained  to  the  end  the  key-note  of  all  his  work, 
**has  been  merely  to  show  that  adverse  circumstances 
— even  the  barrenest  poverty — cannot  repress  the 
human  intellect  and  character,  if  it  be  determined  to 
rise ;  that  man  can  triumph  over  circumstances,  and 
subject  them  to  his  will ;  that  knowledge  is  no  exclu- 
sive heritage  of  the  rich  and  the  leisured  classes,  but 
may  be  attained  by  all;  or  at  all  events,  that  no 
difficulties  of  situation,  however  great,  can  furnish 
any  reason  for  despair"  (p.  132). 

Dr  Smiles  was,  of  course,  an  ardent  opponent  of 
privilege,  and  therefore  of  protective  duties  on  corn. 


PREFACE 


XI 


but  he  had  obviously  no  sympathy  with  the  modern 
attempt  to  create  privilege  for  the  classes  to  whom 
Democracy  has  now  given  power.  When  Free  Trade 
had  been  won,  a  national  system  of  education  estab- 
lished, and  when  the  franchise  had  been  settled  on  a 
liberal  basis,  his  interest  in  politics  seems  to  have 
ceased.  A  career,  if  not  of  worldly  success,  at  least 
of  self-respect  and  independence,  was  now  open  to 
honest  industry,  and  the  policy  of  laying  burdens  on 
one  class  for  the  benefit  of  another  class  seemed  to 
him  unnecessary,  even  if  he  did  not  regard  it  as 
unjust. 

Though  Dr  Smiles  has,  for  these  reasons,  ignored 
the  socialists,  they  have  not  ignored  him.  His  cheerful 
optimism,  and  the  spirited  attempts  he  makes  to  justify 
it,  are  things  abhorrent  to  them.  To  them  he  is  typical 
of  the  plain  man,  the  bourgeois  who  assumes  that  the 
constitution  of  society  cannot  be  materially  altered. 
He  encourages  us  to  make  the  best  of  it,  and  shows 
that  the  best  of  it  is  not  so  very  bad,  and  his  genial 
and  kindly  exposition  of  the  success  that  attends  the 
practice  of  the  ordinary  arts  of  thriving  is  very  dis- 
tasteful to  those  who  believe  in  the  necessity  of  revolu- 
tionary and  organic  change.  This  is  not  the  place  to 
argue  out  the  issue,  but  no  appreciation  of  Dr  Smiles 
and  his  work  would  be  complete  without  a  reference 
to  the  fact  that  be  is  very  properly  regarded  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  that  sound  middle  class  common  sense 
which  has  created  for  the  English  of  all  classes  a  very 
solid  fabric  of  comfort  and  contentment.  The 
socialist  recognises  that  it  is  this  measure  of  material 
prosperity,  and  the  common  sense  that  has  created  it, 
and  still  continues  to  defend  it  as  tolerable,  which  bar 
the  way  to  any  practical  acceptance  of  his  doctrine. 
Hence    the    bitter    and    scornful   reference    to   the 


\ 


xii  PREFACE 

"Gospel  accordingf  to  Smiles,"  which  is  so  familiar  a 
commonplace  in  the  socialist's  invective  against  the 
existing  order  of  things. 

This  divergence  of  view  reaches  its  limit  theo- 
retically, when  a  leading  socialist  solemnly  appears 
before  a  Royal  Commission,  and  records  his  opinion 
that  thrift  is  a  crime,  and  that  to  encourage  poor 
men  to  practise  it  is  merely  to  incite  them  to  new 
privations.  Happily,  even  those  members  of  the 
poorer  class  who  might  describe  themselves  as  social- 
ists, unconsciously  incline  in  practice  to  the  view  of 
Dr  Smiles  rather  than  to  that  of  their  own  teacher. 
The  man  who  thinks  at  all  of  his  own  future  and  of 
social  conditions  generally,  will  be  found,  through  his 
Friendly  Society,  his  Co-operative  Store,  or  his 
Savings  Bank,  to  be  paying  some  homage  to  those 
arts  of  thriving  of  which  Dr  Smiles  will  always  be 
regarded  as  a  foremost  panegyrist.  It  is  this  involun- 
tary adherence  to  a  line  of  conduct  which  identifies 
them  and  their  interests  with  the  established  economic 
order  which  makes  any  thorough  application  of 
socialist  ideas  an  improbable  and  remote  contingency. 
It  is  this  impenetrable  common  sense — stupidity  per- 
haps the  socialist  will  call  it — that  has  barred  and 
probably  will  bar  the  way  to  attempts  at  revolutionary 
change,  such  as  the  socialist  desires. 

So  much  it  seems  necessary  to  set  down,  in  order 
to  show  the  representative  character  of  Dr  Smiles' 
work.  For  the  rest,  we  doubt  if  any  but  the  most 
austere  exponents  of  new  ideals  will  be  able  to  resist 
the  cheerful  optimism  of  Dr  Smiles'  narrative. 

It  is  a  satisfaction  to  learn  from  these  pages,  that 
as  he  wrote  for  others,  so  he  found  it  for  himself 
His  life  was  one  of  great  contentment  and  of  continu- 
ous industry,  and  in  his  case  at  all  events,  wisdom  was 


PEEFACE  xiii 

justified  in  her  children.  The  following-  narrative, 
written  at  different  times,  the  later  portion  in  extreme 
old  age,  and  with  failing-  powers,  has,  with  some 
omissions,  been  printed  as  the  author  left  it.  A  few 
verbal  and  grammatical  corrections,  such  as  an  author 
would  naturally  have  made  for  himself,  have  been 
introduced,  but  the  sense  has  nowhere  been  altered. 
The  autobiography  is  a  popular  author's  last 
message  to  readers,  who  have  been  pleased  and 
encouraged  by  his  work.  It  will  be  a  satisfaction  to 
those  who  have  praised  his  books,  to  learn  how 
appreciative  he  was  of  their  sympathy.  The  simpli- 
city of  his  character,  and  his  enjoyment  of  the  world  s 
good-will,  as  revealed  in  these  pages,  will,  it  is  hoped, 
increase  their  g-rateful  remembrance  of  an  instructor 
at  once  so  kindly  and  so  entertaining-. 

T.  M. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

I.  Boyhood  and  Education 
II.  Youthful  Recollections 

III.  A  Student  OF  Medicine 

IV.  Reform— THE  Lauder  Raid — the  Cholera 
V.  Surgeon  in  Haddington 

VI.  A  Rolling  Stone  gathers  no  Moss 
VII.  Returns  to  England— London,  Sheffield 
VIII.  Editor  of  the  Leeds  Times    . 
IX.  Life  in  Leeds     .... 
X.  I  Leave  Political  Life 
XL  End  of  Residence  in  Leeds 
XII.  Newcastle  and  the  Neighbourhood 

XI I I.  Secretary  of  the  South-Eastern  Railway 

XIV.  A  Successful  Author  at  Last  ! 
XV.  Railway  Work— Charing  Cross  Line 

XVI.  Lives  of  the  Engineers,  and  other  Works 
XVII.  The  Buguenots— Travels  in  France 
XVI 1 1.  The  North  Frisian  Islands  . 
XIX.  Character— Illness— A  Long  Rest  . 
XX.  Thrift,  The  Scotch  Naturalist,  George  Moore, 
etc.        ..... 

XXI.  Visit  to  Italy     .... 
XXII.  Growing  Old      .... 

XXI I I.  Appreciation  from  Foreigners 

XXIV.  Translations— Roy  AT— Italy  . 

Index         .  .  ,  •  » 


PAGE 

I 

i6 

26 

36 

47 

59 

69 

87 

103 

126 

158 

178 

195 
209 

232 
247 
264 
275 
293 

302 
328 
347 
383 
398 

419 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dr  Samuel  Smiles  {from  a  Photograph  by  Messrs 

Elliott  (Sr»  Fry)_,.-  -  -  -  .    Frontispiece 

Dr   Smiles    {from    the  Portrait  by   George  Reid^ 

R.S.A,)      '  -  -  -  -  -     To  face  p.  ig/^ 


THE    AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF 
SAMUEL    SMILES 

CHAPTER  I 

BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

I  HAVE  begun  and  finished  many  books,  but  I  never 
began  a  manuscript  with  more  trepidation  than  I 
now  do  the  following  narrative.  I  would  not  have 
dreamt  of  writing  out  these  memoirs  but  for  the 
repeated  counsels  of  William  Rolston  Haigh  of 
H  udder sfield,  an  old  friend,  whom  I  had  known 
intimately  at  Leeds,  at  Bradford,  and  at  Hudders- 
field,  of  which  town  he  was  a  magistrate,  and  where 
I  frequently  enjoyed  his  hospitality. 

Mr  Haigh  was  a  very  intelligent  man,  and  a  great 
reader,  especially  of  biography.  Many  years  since, 
he  asked  me,  *'  Have  you  written  out  your  Auto- 
biography yet?" 

*'0h,  no!"  I  answered,  *' there  is  no  probability  of 
that  ever  being  done.  I  am  too  busy,  besides,  with 
other  things  that  I  wish  to  finish.  I  have  been  inter- 
viewed, it  is  true,  like  most  other  book  writers, 
artists,  and  men  of  notoriety.  But  my  life  has  been 
comparatively  uneventful ;  there  is  really  nothing  in 
it." 


2  B0YH00T3   AND   EDUCATION 

'*  Nothing-  In  it  ?  "  responded  my  Mentor.  *'  Why, 
your  books  are  extensively  read  in  this  country  and 
America.  They  have  been  translated  into  nearly 
every  langfuage  in  Europe.  They  appear  in  many  of 
the  Indian  languages,  and  even  in  Siamese  and 
Japanese.  I  am  quite  sure  that  your  readers  would 
like  to  know  much  more  about  yourself  than  has  yet 
been  published  by  your  interviewers." 

"That  may  be,"  I  said,  ''but  I  do  not  think  there 
are  any  passages  in  my  life  likely  to  be  interesting 
to  the  public.  My  books,  such  as  they  are,  must 
speak  for  themselves,  without  any  biographic  intro- 
duction." 

''  Well !  "  he  observed  finally,  "  think  of  my  advice  : 
I  am  persuaded  that  a  history  of  yourself  would  be 
more  interesting  than  any  of  your  books." 

This  conversation  occurred  in  1879.  I  doubted 
my  friend's  counsel ;  but  he  returned  to  the  subject 
again  and  again.  He  even  took  the  trouble  to  tell 
me  how  I  should  write  my  Autobiography.  He  gave 
me  the  heads  of  it,  extending  to  four  pages.  He 
copied  out  for  me  John  Bartram's  advice  to  his  friend 
Benjamin  Franklin  as  to  the  preparation  of  his 
biography. 

On  Anthony  Trollope's  autobiography  making  its 
appearance,  Mr  Haigh  wrote  to  my  wife,  *'Tell  your 
husband  to  go  and  do  likewise."  My  answer  was, 
Benjamin  Franklin  was  a  celebrated  philosopher,  and 
Anthony  Trollope  was  a  distinguished  novelist. 
Thousands  will  read  about  them,  while  few  will  read 
about  me.  They  had  a  history,  while  I  have  none — at 
least,  none  of  any  consequence.  Nevertheless,  I  will 
proceed  at  my  leisure  to  write  out  some  passages 
relating  to  my  past  life,  and  leave  them  for  the 
entertainment  of  my  children  and  grandchildren,  or, 


1812]       EARLIEST  RECOLLECTIONS  3 

should  my  sons  desire,  for  the  perusal  of  the  general 
public. 


I  was  born  at  Haddington  on  the  23rd  of 
December  181 2.  The  house  in  which  I  first  saw  the 
light,  stood  at  the  head  of  the  High  Street,  and  com- 
manded a  view  of  the  Mail  Coach,  the  Union,  the 
Stage  Coaches,  and  the  Friday  Market.* 

About  the  beginning  of  the  century,  when 
Napoleon  was  at  the  height  of  his  power,  the  town 
formed  the  centre  of  a  camp.  Some  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  of  the  best  troops  of  France  were  assembled 
at  Boulogne — with  artillery,  horses,  and  transports — 
flat-bottomed  boats — and  threatened  the  invasion  of 
England.  It  proved  to  be  but  a  feint,  but  this 
country  was  prepared.  Some  thought  that  the  Bay 
of  Aberlady  might  be  the  point  of  landing  for  the 
foreign  troops,  and  barracks  were  erected  all  round 
Haddington,  for  the  accommodation  of  infantry, 
cavalry,  and  artillery.  Other  barracks  were  erected 
at  Belhaven,  near  Dunbar.  Beacons  were  erected 
along  the  coast,  to  give  timely  notice  of  the  approach 
and  landing  of  the  French.  Regiments  of  militia 
were  marched  into  the  barracks  in  constant  succes- 
sion ;  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  regular  troops  to 
keep  up  their  forces  by  enlistment. 

Napoleon,  however,  broke  up  ''the  army  of 
England,"  as  it  was  called,  and  proceeded  to  invade 
Austria,  Prussia,  and  Russia.  The  continental  war 
went  on  for  several  years.  Wellington  was  now  in 
the  Peninsula  with  his  victorious  army ;  and  at  the 
time  when  I  was  born,  at  the  end  of  181 2,  Napoleon 

*  The  house  has  since  been  pulled  down  and  replaced  by  a  Bank- 
ing Office. 


4  BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

was  returning  to  France  with  the  wreck  of  his  army, 
baffled  by  the  snows  of  Russia.  Still  the  militia 
continued  to  occupy  the  barracks  around  our  little 
town,  while  the  regulars  drummed  them  up  constantly 
for  recruits. 

Then  came  the  battle  of  Leipzig,  the  retreat  of 
Napoleon  upon  France,  the  siege  and  surrender  of 
Paris,  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor,  his  banishment 
to  Elba  and  his  return  to  France  in  less  than  a  year, 
his  assemblage  of  the  army,  and  their  march  north- 
ward. Then  followed  Waterloo.  It  seems  to  me 
like  a  dream  to  remember  the  rejoicings  on  that 
occasion  —  the  bands  of  the  militia,  the  drums  and 
pipes  that  paraded  the  town,  and  the  illuminations 
that  followed.  Such  things  make  a  deep  impression 
on  the  imagination  of  a  child — ''Wax  to  receive,  bu-t 
marble  to  retain."  Next  year,  the  42nd  Highlanders 
— the  Black  Watch— marched  through  the  town. 
That  circumstance  stands  very  clear  in  my  memory. 
They  were  received  with  extraordinary  acclamations 
in  every  town  they  passed  through ;  and  when  they 
entered  Edinburgh  the  enthusiasm  was  indescribable. 

The  talk  by  our  firesides  long  continued  to  be 
about  wars,  with  remembrances  of  recent  campaigns. 
The  barracks  round  our  town  were  eventually  pulled 
down,  and  the  materials  disposed  of  My  father* 
bought  a  large  quantity  of  army  stores,  principally 
blankets  and  greatcoats.  I  remember  seeing  the 
last  of  the  soldiers'  greatcoats  sold  to  a  ploughman 
and  carried  away  upon  his  back. 

All  articles  of  food  were  very  dear  in  those  days. 
Everything  was  taxed  to  the  utmost  extent.     Bread 

*  Dr  Smiles'  father  was  also  Samuel  Smiles.  He  was  engaged  in 
trade,  first  as  a  paper  maker,  when  paper  was  made  by  hand,  after- 
wards as  a  general  merchant  in  Haddington. — Ed. 


1815]  THE   WELSH   FAMILY  5 

was  sixteen  pence  the  quartern  loaf;  sug-ar,  ninepence 
or  tenpence ;  tea,  from  seven  to  nine  shilling's,  but  oat- 
meal for  porridge,  the  **staff  of  life"  in  Scotland,  was 
moderate;  though,  compared  with  present  prices,  it 
was  dear. 

One  of  the  things  that  struck  me  very  much  in 
my  early  years,  was  the  illness  of  my  elder  brother 
John.  He  had  an  attack  of  inflammation  of  the 
lungs,  and  Dr  John  Welsh,  who  lived  close  at  hand, 
was  called  in  to  visit  him.  The  doctor  bled  him,  and 
I  remember  seeing  three  full  cups  of  blood  taken  from 
his  arm,  lying  on  the  table,  waiting  for  the  doctor's 
next  visit.  Though  the  boy  was  only  seven  years 
old,  the  bleeding-  at  once  cured  him.  Doctors  were 
not  afraid  to  bleed  in  those  days.  A  few  days  after, 
when  the  boy  was  downstairs,  Dr  Welsh  called  again 
to  see  his  patient.  He  put  his  finger  through  an 
unbuttoned  hole  in  the  boy's  vest,  and  tickled  him. 
The  boy  laughed.  "Oh!"  said  the  doctor,  ''his 
lungs  are  all  right ;  he  will  soon  be  out-of-doors." 

Dr  Welsh  was  a  most  agreeable  and  cheerful  man. 
Everybody  loved  him.  He  had  a  comely,  handsome 
face,  with  lively  and  expressive  features.  He  was  the 
principal  practitioner  in  the  town  and  neighbourhood. 
Shortly  after  the  above  circumstance,  Dr  Welsh, 
who  had  to  encounter  all  sorts  of  risks,  caught 
typhoid  fever  from  a  patient  he  was  attending-,  and 
died  after  a  short  illness.  He  was  greatly  lamented 
throughout  the  country. 

I  remember  his  widow,  Mrs  Welsh,  who  continued 
for  some  time  to  live  in  the  town,  and  her  daughter 
Jeanie,  afterwards  Mrs  Carlyle.  Mrs  Welsh  was  a 
beautiful  woman  :  tall,  dark-haired,  and  commanding-. 
Jeanie  was  less  lovely  ;  her  face  was  too  angular  for 
beauty.     Nevertheless,  she  had  many  admirers.     She 


6  BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

might  have  married  well  in  her  native  town  ;  but  she 
disliked  the  place  and  wished  to  get  away  from  it. 
In  1 82 1,  two  years  after  her  father's  death,  she  wrote, 
''It  is  the  dimmest,  deadest  spot  in  the  Creator's 
universe  .  .  .  the  very  air  one  breathes  is  impreg- 
nated with  stupidity."* 

After  all,  Haddington  was  not  so  bad  as  Miss 
Welsh  painted  it.  It  very  much  depends  upon 
ourselves  whether  we  are  miserable  or  not  in  any 
condition  of  life.  Perhaps  Miss  Welsh  was  not  of  a 
very  contented  frame  of  mind,  and  her  letters  seem 
to  show  this.  She  was  not  pleased  with  her  local 
surroundings,  and  was  waiting  for  her  Genius. 

Mrs  Welsh  and  her  daughter,  after  Dr  Welsh's 
death,  occupied  the  upper  flat  of  Mr  Roughead's 
large  mansion,  nearly  opposite  the  house  in  the  High 
Street  which  my  father  had  bought,  and  to  which  we 
had  removed  from  the  house  where  I  was  born.  I 
often  saw  Mrs  Welsh  and  her  daughter  walking 
about  ;  but  as  I  was  some  eleven  years  younger  than 
Jeanie,  and  was  then  but  a  boy,  I  had  no  personal 
communications  with  her.  It  was  said  that  she  was 
fond  of  Edward  Irving,  who  had  been  an  assistant 
master  in  the  Burgh  School ;  but  he  had  gone  to 
Kirkcaldy,  and  become  pledged  to  a  minister's 
daughter  there.  So  Miss  Welsh  had  to  wait.  But 
at  last  the  Genius  came  in  the  shape  of  Thomas 
Carlyle.  More  than  enough  has  been  written  about 
this  union,  so  that  it  need  not  be  further  referred  to. 
Excepting  this — that  after  Mrs  Carlyle  had  removed 
from  Craigenputtock  to  London,  she  called  upon  my 
mother  when  she  came  down  to  her  native  place,  and 
gave    her    to    understand    that    she    was    quite    as 

*  Early  letters  of  Jane  Welsh  Carlyle.  Edited  by  David  G. 
Ritchie,  M.A. 


1820]  SCHOOLS  AND   SCHOOLMASTERS     7 

miserable  with  her  Genius  as  she  had  ever  been  at 
Hadding-ton.  There  was  a  reason  for  this,  that 
cannot  be  described  in  this  place. 

A  gfood  education  is  equivalent  to  a  good  fortune. 
My  parents  were  both  of  opinion  that,  though  they 
had  comparatively  little  money  to  leave  to  the  several 
members  of  their  large  family,  the  training-  of  their 
minds  in  early  life  was  the  best  possible  equipment 
for  their  encounter  with  the  struggles  and  difficulties 
which  they  would  have  to  meet  in  future  years. 
John  Knox  was  a  native  of  the  town  in  which  I  was 
born.  He  was  to  Scotland  what  Martin  Luther 
was  to  Germany.  "  Let  the  common  people  be 
taught,"  was  one  of  John  Knox's  messages.  His 
advice  was  followed,  and  the  results  were  great.  A 
poor  and  sterile  country  was  made  strong  by  its  men. 
The  parish  and  burgh  schools  of  Scotland,  and  the 
education  given  there,  are  but  the  lengthened  shadow 
of  John  Knox.  There  was  a  good  grammar  school 
in  Haddington  even  in  the  Reformer's  boyhood.  He 
was  taught  there  by  the  monks,  until  he  went  for 
further  training  and  education  to  the  University  of 
St  Andrews. 

My  first  teacher  was  Patrick  Hardie.  He  had  a 
private  school  in  St  Ann's  Place,  and  there  I  learnt  my 
ABC.  In  a  few  years,  Mr  Hardie  was  appointed 
by  the  Town  Council  teacher  of  English  and  Mathe- 
matics at  the  Burgh  School ;  and  I  followed  him  to 
his  new  quarters. 

Hardie  was  a  good  teacher.  He  taught  reading, 
writing,  and  arithmetic,  very  well.  He  cultivated 
in  his  pupils  the  gift  of  memory.  He  made  us  learn 
by  heart,  and  recite,  poetry  and  speeches  by 
memorable  orators.  I  remember  that  I  had  to  learn, 
with    another    schoolfellow  (Nesbet),   an    act    from 


8  BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

Home's  tragedy  of  Douglas,  and  a  long-  passage 
from  Campbell's  Poems,  entitled  "The  Wizard's 
Warning,"  and  recite,  or  rather  act  the  passages 
with  as  much  eloquence  and  action  as  we  could 
muster.  All  this  was  very  useful ;  and  these 
passages,  learnt  at  school,  remained  in  our  minds 
for  many  years. 

These  are  the  good  points  of  Hardie's  character 
as  a  teacher.  But  he  had  other  points,  which  were 
quite  the  reverse.  He  was  a  tyrant  and  a  toady. 
He  had  favourites,  who  were  mostly  the  sons  of 
provosts,  bailies,  or  town  councillors,  to  whom  he 
owed  his  position ;  or  they  were  the  sons  of  well-to- 
do  men,  who  could  give  him  dinners  and  drink.  I 
was  the  son  of  none  of  these  distinguished  person- 
ages, and  not  a  favourite.  My  father  w^as  an  Anti- 
Burgher — a  sort  of  Quaker  Presbyterian,  who  would 
not  take  the  Burgess  Oath — and  therefore  not  likely 
to  be  either  a  town  councillor  or  a  bailie.*  Hardie 
hated  Dissenters— he  had  been  one  himself— but 
especially  Anti-Burghers. 

I  was  only  an  average  boy,  distinguished  for 
nothing  but  my  love  of  play.  I  looked  forward  with 
delight  to  my  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons, 
when  we  had  shinty,  or  football  on  the  sands,  or  went 
stravaiging  about  the  country  in  search  of  birds' 
nests,  sloes,  or  haws.  I  fear  I  was  fonder  of  frolic 
than  of  learning,  though  I  made  my  way  with  the 
rest.     I  could  not  have  been  very  bright,  for  one  day, 

*  In  the  North,  provosts  and  bailies  are  persons  of  great 
importance.  They  occupied,  at  that  time,  what  was  called  "the 
breest  of  the  laft "  at  the  Parish  Church.  A  man  at  Peebles  had  been 
elected  a  bailie  ;  he  was  proceeding  along  a  bye-street,  when  he 
encountered  a  woman  driving  a  cow.  "Get  out  o'  the  way,  man," 
said  the  driver.  "Woman,"  said  the  obstructor,  "/'/«  no  a  man; 
I'm  a  bailie  I " 


1820]      A   SEVERE   SCHOOLMASTER  9 

v/hen  Hardie  was  in  one  of  his  tyrannical  humours, 
he  uttered  this  terrible  prophecy  in  a  loud  voice : 
''Smiles!  you  will  never  be  fit  for  anything  but 
sweeping  the  streets  of  your  native  borough."  A 
nice  encouragement  for  a  little  scholar! 

Schoolboys  often  imitate  the  tyranny  of  their 
masters.  They  pick  up  the  brutal  words  which  he 
has  so  vehemently  uttered,  perhaps  in  a  moment  of 
passion  ;  and  my  schoolfellows  nicknamed  me  after 
the  man  who  then  swept  the  streets  of  my  ''native 
borough."  I  shortly  after  left  the  school,  and  had 
forgotten  all  about  the  nickname,  when  it  was 
recalled  to  my  recollection  by  Charles  Sheriff,  son  of 
a  farmer  at  Mungo's  Wells.  He  detested  Hardie 
much  more  than  I  did,  and  said  that  he  had  never 
learnt  anything  from  that  teacher.  This,  however, 
was  a  mistake,  for,  notwithstanding  his  tyranny  and 
cruelty,  in  his  calmer  moments  he  was  an  excellent 
teacher. 

Hardie  occasionally  used  the  most  fearful  language 
in  dealing  with  his  pupils.  I  have  heard  him  say  : 
"  I  will  flog  you,  sir,  within  an  inch  of  your  life"  ;  "  I 
will  dash  your  brains  against  the  wall"  ;  "  I  will  split 
your  skull  into  a  thousand  pieces!"  Poor  little 
terrified  pupils !  I  have  seen  Hardie  flog  a  boy  so 
hard  and  so  long,  that  he  had  to  hold  his  sides,  and 
sit  down  exhausted.  Eventually  he  had  to  give  this 
up,  because  of  his  health ! 

His  favourites,  to  whom  he  was  always  mild  and 
sleek,  used  to  burn  the  taws  (the  instrument  of 
torture)  at  the  end,  in  order  to  make  them  black  and 
hard,  knowing  that  the  cut  thong  of  leather  would 
never  be  used  to  raise  wales  upon  their  backs. 

Hardie  did  a  little  surreptitious  teaching.  He 
could  not  very  well  teach  Latin  and  Greek  during 


10         BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

the  ordinary  school  hours,  because  there  was  a 
classical  school,  also  supported  by  the  borough 
magistrates,  near  at  hand ;  but  he  could,  and  he 
did,  teach  Latin  after  his  usual  day  scholars  had 
been  dismissed.  I  remained,  with  some  other  boys, 
to  learn  Latin.  Before  we  began,  Hardie  went 
upstairs  for  refreshment,  and  when  he  returned  to 
his  Latin  pupils,  he  was  frequently  very  much 
excited.  On  one  occasion  he  was  hearing  the  lesson 
of  one  James  Thomson — son  of  another  Anti-Burgher. 
The  lad  was  not  very  bright,  and  rather  dour.  Jamie 
answered  a  question  wrongly  and  stupidly  ;  on  which 
the  master  became  enraged,  and  violently  threw  a 
book  full  in  the  boy's  face.  One  of  the  boards  of  the 
book  hit  him  on  the  upper  lip  and  cut  it  open.  His 
face  was  soon  covered  with  blood,  and  the  class  was 
dismissed.  The  late  President  Garfield  used  to  say 
of  such  places  :  '*  It  is  to  me  a  perpetual  wonder  that 
any  child's  love  of  knowledge  survives  the  outrages  of 
the  schoolhouse." 

A  story  was  told  among  us  at  school,  which  may 
be  mentioned  here.  At  Haddington,  the  sons  of 
provosts  and  bailies  were  the  favourites,  while  at  the 
Edinburgh  High  School  the  sons  of  lords  and  squires 
were  toadied  by  the  masters.  On  one  occasion,  a 
boy  was  asked  by  the  teacher,  ''  Now,  blockhead,  can 
you  construe  this:  'Nisi  Doniinus  frustra  ?''  the 
motto  of  the  city. 

''Yes,  sir!"  answered  the  boy,  with  spirit  — 
''  Unless  ye  be  a  lord,  or  a  laird's  son,  ye  needna  be 
here." 

Learning  is  not  advanced  by  harshness  and 
tyranny  on  the  part  of  the  masters.  These  are 
enough  to  drive  a  boy  into  stupidity  and  make  him 
reckless.       I    have    always    detested    the    cowardly 


1820-5]  RECTOR   GRAHAM  11 

cruelty  of  exceptional  schoolmasters,  who,  because 
they  are  strong-er,  use  their  power  in  tormenting  the 
helpless  children  committed  to  their  charge. 

I  cannot  tell  how  thankful  I  was  to  be  taken  away 
from  Hardie's  School,  and  sent  to  the  Classical 
School  in  the  adjoining:  building-.  Rector  Graham 
was  as  much  a  gentleman  as  the  other  was  a  tyrant. 
The  two  men  were  very  different,  in  appearance  and 
character.  Hardie  was  bilious,  pale-faced,  with  hair 
of  a  yellowish-red  ;  his  eyes  were  black,  and  sparkling 
when  angry.  Graham,  on  the  other  hand,  was  round 
and  jovial,  though  a  little  pompous,  full  of  fun,  fond  of 
quoting  Latin,  and  with  a  smile  for  every  boy, 
whether  he  was  the  son  of  a  bailie  or  not.  The  taws 
were  Hardie's  instrument  of  torture ;  whilst,  though 
Graham  had  taws,  he  never  used  them.  The  school 
was  governed  by  moral  suasion,  and  yet  it  was  kept 
in  perfect  order.  I  think  every  boy  in  the  school 
loved  old  Graham. 

The  class  of  boys  was  no  doubt  of  a  better  sort 
than  those  at  the  other  school.  Many  of  them  were 
English,  or  the  sons  of  Indian  officers,  or  of  large 
East  Lothian  farmers.  Every  branch  of  learning 
was  imparted  in  a  pleasant  and  cheerful  way.  It  was 
not  made  hateful,  but  was  rendered  grateful.  I 
learnt  with  the  rest,  and  made  progress  in  Greek, 
Latin,  and  French.  I  still  remember  some  of  the 
anecdotes  with  which  certain  passages  were  illus- 
trated. I  was  not  a  prize  boy.  At  the  summer 
examinations,  besides  the  bag-full  of  sweetmeats, 
prizes  were  given  to  those  who  stood  first  and  second 
in  the  various  classes.  Some  of  the  boys  took  home 
armsful  of  prize  books.  Two  of  these  were  the  sons 
of  a  minister,  and  they  had  been  carefully  crammed 
at  home.     But  the  prizes  did  not  amount  to  much. 


12         BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

The  boys  I  refer  to  made  no  way  in  the  world.  One 
of  them  became  a  minister,  and  broke  down  com- 
pletely ;  the  other  became  a  missionary  among  the 
negroes. 

What  became  of  the  favourites  at  the  one  school, 
and  the  prize  boys  at  the  other  ?  I  do  not  think  that 
any  of  them  made  a  mark  in  the  world.  Some 
became  insufferable  prigfs,  stuck  up  with  self-conceit. 
The  prize  boys  began  as  prodigies  and  ended  as 
failures.  Forcing  at  home  did  no  good.  In  the 
battle  of  life,  cramming  is  comparatively  useless. 

The  most  successful  of  my  schoolfellows  in  after 
years,  was  originally  a  dunce.  Hardie  could  not  flog 
arithmetic  into  him.  He  learnt  little  or  nothing  at 
school.  Teacher  after  teacher  tried  him ;  and  the 
result  was  the  same.  At  last  he  was  taken  from 
school,  and  placed  under  the  charge  of  a  private 
tutor.  Then  he  showed  marks  of  intelligence.  His 
father,  who  carried  on  a  large  business,  suddenly  died, 
and  the  responsibility  thrown  upon  his  only  son 
awakened  his  intellect  and  conscience  at  once.  He 
took  in  hand  the  conduct  of  the  business  which  his 
father  had  left  him.  The  young  fellow  was  energetic 
and  persevering,  and  the  business  rapidly  increased. 
This  so-called  dunce  ended  by  becoming  a  public  man 
of  considerable  social  importance,  not  the  least  of 
which  was  that  he  was  made  provost  of  his  native 
burgh. 

On  the  whole,  provided  there  was  perseverance, 
those  young  men  succeeded  the  best  from  whom  little 
was  expected.  As  for  myself,  if  I  have  done  any- 
thing worthy  of  being  remembered,  it  has  not  been 
through  any  superiority  of  gifts,  but  only  through  a 
moderate  portion  of  them,  accompanied,  it  is  true, 
with  energy  and  the  habit  of  industry  and  application. 


1820-5]  MY   PARENTS  13 

As  in  the  case  of  everyone  else,  I  had  for  the  most 
part  to  teach  myself,  and  I  suppose  I  did  so  to  much 
better  purpose  than  any  schoolmaster  could  have 
taught  me.  Then  I  enjoyed  good  health,  and  health 
is  more  excellent  than  prizes.  Exercise,  the  joy  of 
interest  and  of  activity,  the  play  of  the  faculties,  is 
the  true  life  of  a  boy  as  of  a  man.  I  had  also  the 
benefit  of  living  in  the  country,  with  its  many 
pleasures  and  wonders. 

Heredity  had  also  much  to  do  with  my  being'  and 
instincts.  The  child  is  not  only  father  of  the  man, 
but  the  inheritor  of  the  moral  and  physical  condition 
of  his  father  and  mother,  and  of  his  ancestors  gener- 
ally, often  extending  very  far  back  in  the  family  to 
which  he  belongs.  I  have  little  to  say  of  my  ancestry. 
My  parents  were  sprung  from  honourable  and  honest 
people,  who,  besides  paying  their  debts,  had  some- 
thing to  spare  for  the  education  of  their  children. 
My  father's  forbears  were  followers  of  Richard 
Cameron.  One  of  them,  Samuel  Drummond,  was  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Covenanters  at  Pentland,  in 
November  1666,  when  he  was  cloven  down  by  a 
Scots  Grey — then  called  The  Royal  Regiment  of 
Scots  Dragoons — under  General  Dalziel.  Fortun- 
ately, his  life  was  saved  by  a  religious  book  which  he 
carried  in  his  bonnet.  The  family  continued  to  be 
Cameronians.  My  grandfather  was  an  elder  in  that 
body  ;  I  remember  being  present  at  a  field-preaching 
at  a  village  within  sight  of  the  Pentland  Hills,  where 
Samuel  Drummond  had  attended  his  dangerous 
field-preaching.  My  grandfather  sent  me  and  my 
brother  John  a  letter  full  of  good  advice,  which  I  still 
possess.  It  is  not  dated,  but  I  think  it  must  have 
been  written  in  1821,  when  I  was  nine  years  old. 

My  mother's  ancestors  came  from  the   Border. 


14         BOYHOOD   AND   EDUCATION 

Her  father,  Robert  Wilson,  was  descended  from  a 
Major  of  Foot,  who  settled  near  Smailholm  In  the 
reign  of  Queen  Anne.  Robert  married  Elizabeth 
Yellowlees,  a  yeoman's  daughter  of  Cowdenknows, 
near  Earlston.  One  of  my  mother's  cousins,  George 
Yellowlees,  was  a  good  artist.  While  studying  at 
Edinburgh,  he  came  out  to  Haddington  and  painted 
portraits  of  my  father  and  mother,  which  I  now 
possess.  He  afterwards  went  to  London,  made  con- 
siderable progress  in  his  art,  and  eventually  was 
appointed  Cabinet  Portrait-painter  to  the  Duke  of 
Sussex. 

My  mother's  brothers,  the  W^Ilsons  of  Dalkeith, 
were  clever  mechanics.  George  invented  one  of  the 
first  reaping  machines,  for  which  he  got  a  prize  from 
the  Dalkeith  Farming  Club.  Robert,  the  eldest 
brother,  carried  on  a  large  trade  as  a  builder  and 
carpenter.  He  was  an  elder  of  the  Rev.  Norman 
Macleod,  while  the  latter  was  Parish  Minister  of 
Dalkeith.  I  remember  his  telling  me  the  following 
story.  An  idiot  attended  the  Church,  but  suddenly 
disappeared.  The  Minister  met  him  one  day,  and 
took  him  to  task  for  absenting  himself  from  public 
worship.  He  added  that  there  would  be  no  preaching 
in  the  bad  place.  ''Eh,  sir,"  replied  the  idiot,  ''it'll 
no  be  for  want  o'  ministers,  then ! " 

My  parents  enjoyed  the  portion  of  Agur.*  They 
were  neither  "hauden  doon"  by  poverty,  nor 
oppressed  by  riches.  Though  food  was  dear,  and 
taxes  were  high,  they  had  sufficient  for  themselves 
and  their  family.  They  had  also  enough — though  at 
some  self-sacrifice — for  the  education  of  their  children. 
They  were  able  to  start  us  fair  in  our  journey  through 
life ;   though  others  were  better  favoured  than  our- 

*  "  Book  of  Proverbs,"  xxx.  i-8.— Ed. 


1820-5]  MY   HOME  15 

selves  as  regards  money  and  friends.  These  are 
evanescent,  whereas  the  advantages  of  education  are 
permanent.  I  cannot,  therefore,  be  too  grateful  to 
my  parents  for  having  so  early  and  so  sedulously 
started  us  on  the  road  of  knowledge. 

There  was  another  example  which  they  set  us, 
that  of  industry — more  important  even  than  know- 
ledge. My  mother  was  always  at  her  spinning-wheel 
in  spare  hours ;  she  not  only  wished  to  keep  up  the 
house  store  of  linen,  but  to  spin  for  the  plenishing  of 
her  daughters.  But  the  family  grew  rapidly ;  linen 
and  cotton  became  cheaper ;  and  the  spinning-wheel 
was  eventually  banished  to  the  lumber-room.  Then 
the  cow  had  to  be  provided  for,  for  milk  was  wanted 
as  an  accompaniment  for  the  porridge,  which  was  the 
children's  usual  breakfast.  Hence  a  byre  was  built, 
attached  to  the  house  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden. 
My  father  was  a  great  gardener,  and  prided  himself 
upon  his  auriculas,  tulips,  polyanthuses,  and  other 
flowers,  which  were  the  favourites  in  those  days.  We 
had  to  assist  in  keeping  the  garden  in  order,  though 
most  of  us  would  have  preferred  being  at  play  on 
those  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons.  Some 
would  have  fished  in  the  Tyne,  or  sought  for  bird's 
nests,  or  climbed  the  Garleton  hills,  or  played  at 
patriotism  in  Wallace's  Cave,  with  home-made  bows 
and  arrows.  All  this,  when  the  opportunity  allowed, 
used  to  be  enjoyed  with  much  zest  and  relish. 


CHAPTER  II 

YOUTHFUL  RECOLLECTIONS 

Before  I  proceed  further,  I  must  mention  a  few 
recollections  of  events  which  specially  interested  me 
when  a  boy.  We  had  comparatively  few  holidays 
when  at  school,  excepting  in  August  during"  harvest 
time,  when  we  had  four  or  five  weeks'  rest  from 
learning.  The  magistrates  and  parents  of  the 
scholars  attended  the  final  examination,  and  as  the 
boys  were  leaving  school,  each  was  presented  with  a 
bag  of  sweetmeats.  This  was  the  case  at  Hardie's, 
while  at  Graham's,  besides  the  sweetmeats,  prizes 
were  given  to  the  best  scholars. 

One  of  our  holidays  was  on  the  occasion  of  the 
Carters'  Ploy.  There  were  a  number  of  cart  horses 
in  the  town,  used  for  conveying  corn  and  goods  to 
and  from  Edinburgh.  The  carters  joined  their  funds 
together,  and  had  a  dance  in  the  town  hall  in  summer. 
One  of  them  was  elected  to  preside  over  the  ploy, 
and  was  hailed  as  **  My  Lord."  The  carters  dressed 
themselves  up  in  a  singular  manner.  They  sent 
their  hats  to  their  sweethearts,  mostly  servant 
maids,  who  covered  them  with  ribands,  round  the 
brim  and  the  crown,  and  with  many  angles  of  ribands 
between.  *'My  Lord"  had  generally  a  velveteen 
jacket,   also  decorated.      The   carters   joined    in    a 

16 


1820-5]  THE   CARTERS'  PLOY  17 

procession,  and  marched  through  the  town,  mounted 
on  their  cart-horses.  They  stopped  at  the  burg-h 
schools,  when  *'My  Lord"  entered,  and  craved  a 
holiday  for  the  scholars.  This  was  always  granted, 
and  the  boys  went  to  see  the  race.  It  took  place  on 
the  high  road  between  Lawrence  House  and  Begble 
Coach  Works.  After  the  race,  there  was  the  dance ; 
when  ''My  Lady,"  the  servant  maid  who  had 
adorned  ''My  Lord's "  hat,  opened  the  ball.  I 
remember  one  of  our  servants  being  "  My  Lady." 

This  curious  custom  has  entirely  disappeared. 
Frightful  accidents  sometimes  happened.  A  cart- 
horse was  quite  unfitted  for  galloping  on  a  macadam- 
ized road.  Occasionally  the  poor  brute  fell,  and 
sustained  such  injuries  that  It  had  to  be  shot.  The 
riders  also  occasionally  suffered.  In  broken  arms  or 
legs.  So  the  carters'  ploy  was  discontinued,  all 
the  more  surely,  when  the  advent  of  railways 
greatly  diminished  the  number  of  cart-horses  in 
the  town. 

We  had  also  holidays  on  the  king's  birthday,  on 
the  New  Year's  day,  and  on  the  annual  Fast  Day. 
On  the  first  named  of  these  festivals,  the  whole  of 
the  Burgesses  met  at  the  cross,  and  drank  the  king's 
health  ;  and  at  night  there  was  a  bonfire  in  the  streets, 
with  much  squib-firing,  and  reports  of  big  and  little 
cannon. 

I  must  also  mention  another  sight  which  struck 
me  with  horror.  That  was  whipping  house-breakers 
in  public  at  the  cart's  tail.  No  doubt  the  burglars 
deserved  their  punishment ;  but  It  took  place  on 
market  days,  In  order  to  have  the  fullest  audience — 
when  men,  women,  and  children  looked  on.  The 
whipping,  with  a  knotted  lash,  took  place  at  about 
six  or  eight  appointed  places  ;  and  then  the  criminal 

B 


18         YOUTHFUL  EECOLLECTIONS 

was  taken  to  the  gaol  to  have  his  bloody  back 
dressed. 

There  was  another  exhibition  at  our  meeting- 
house, quite  as  offensive  as  whipping-  men  at  the 
cart's  tail.  That  was,  publicly  rebuking  men  and 
women  on  the  cutty  stool.*  It  was  usually  the 
women  only ;  the  men  could  not  stand  it,  and  fled. 
Fortunately,  the  children  could  not  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  rebukes  :  they  were  often  sent  home. 

The  town  had  then  its  piper  and  drummer.  It 
had  been  an  ancient  custom,  and  the  magistrates 
revived  it  in  my  younger  days.  Donald  Macgregor, 
the  piper,  skirled  the  Highland  tunes  while  marching 
round  the  town.  Old  Baird,  the  drummer,  called  the 
attention  of  the  public  to  roups,  sales,  and  such  like. 
He  was  sometimes  very  drunk,  and  stuttered  and 
havered,  so  that  the  people  could  not  hear  his 
announcements.  He  was  at  length  dismissed,  and 
''Hangie"  was  appointed  in  his  place.  ''Hangie" 
was  one  of  the  town's  officers,  and,  being  in  debt,  he 
accepted  ;^io  to  lash  one  of  the  above  burglars 
through  the  town  at  the  cart's  tail.  He  was  ever 
afterwards  called  "  Hangie."  On  Sundays,  he  used 
to  march  with  the  other  officers  in  front  of  the 
magistrates  from  the  Town  Hall  to  the  Established 
Church,  where  the  latter  took  their  places  In  the 
front  of  the  "laft." 

This  special  officer  had  another  work  to  do.  The 
town  had  been  burnt  down  several  times  during  the 
border  wars  between  the  Scots  and  English,  and 
another  great  conflagration  occurred    through    the 

*  "The  cutty  stool,"  said  Sir  John  Sinclair,  "is  a  kind  of  pillory, 
erected  for  the  punishment  of  those  who  have  transgressed  in  the 
article  of  chastity."  Dr  Jamieson,  in  his  Scottish  Dictionary^  says, 
"It  is  the  stool  of  repentance,  on  which  offenders  were  seated  in 
church,  now  generally  disused." 


1820-5]  OLD   CUSTOMS  19 

carelessness  of  a  servant,  when  the  town  was  half 
burnt  down.  As  a  precaution  to  future  servants,  the 
following-  proclamation  was  made  once  a  week, 
towards  dark,  for  six  weeks  between  Christmas  and 
Candlemas  : 


i 


"  A'  gud  men  servants  where'er  ye  be, 
Keep  coal  an'  candle  for  charitie  ; 
Your  bakehouse,  brewhouse,  barns,  and  byres, 
It's  for  your  sakes,  keep  weel  your  fires, 
For  oftentimes  a  little  spark 
Brings  mony  hands  to  muckle  wark  ; 
Ye  nourises  that  ha'e  bairns  to  keep, 
See  that  ye  fa'  nae  ower  sound  asleep, 
For  losing  o'  your  good  renown, 
An'  banishin'  o'  this  burrow's  town  ; 
It's  for  your  sakes  that  I  do  cry, 
Take  warnin'  from  your  neighbours  by." 

The  old  g-entlemen  "residenters"  wore  toupees,  a 
kind  of  peruke  tied  with  a  riband,  hanging  down  the 
back  of  the  neck.  Their  hair  was  powdered,  and 
knee-breeches  and  buckles  on  the  shoes  were  common. 
I  saw  the  last  of  the  Spencers — named  after  the 
third  Lord  Spencer,  who  first  wore  it ;  it  was  used 
either  by  men  or  women  ;  and  modern  fashion  seems 
trying  to  restore  this  article  of  dress. 

Although  I  have  written  a  book  about  **  Thrift " 
when  a  man,  I  was  not  at  all  thrifty  when  a  boy. 
We  children  had  all  penny-pigs,  or  thrift  boxes,  to 
implant  the  idea  of  saving  spare  money.  But  I  was 
never  a  saver.  I  thought  that  the  principal  use  of 
money  was  to  be  spent.  I  occasionally  put  a  few 
pennies  into  the  slit,  but  I  soon  worked  them  out 
again  by  means  of  a  table  knife.  My  brother  Jack 
filled  his  to  the  top,  and  when  it  was  quite  filled  the 


20         YOUTHFUL  EECOLLECTIONS 

pigf  had  to  be  broken  to  get  out  the  contents.  Mine 
was  usually  empty.  I  suppose  years  and  discretion 
brought  the  idea  of  **  Thrift,"  but  I  continued  to 
spend  money  pretty  freely. 

I  remember,  when  a  little  boy,  gfettingf  my  first 
introduction  to  the  novels  of  Walter  Scott — then  the 
''Great  Unknown."  One  of  my  sisters,  when  an 
infant,  was  sent  to  the  country  to  be  nursed ;  and  I 
used  to  accompany  Peg  Nielson,  our  servant,  to  see 
the  child  on  Saturday  afternoons.  Our  way  was 
through  Clerking-ton  Park,  a  charming"  place  about  a 
mile  from  the  town,  with  the  river  Tyne  meandering 
through  the  demesne.  Peg  was  a  capital  story-teller, 
and  many  a  time  did  she  entertain  us  with  "auld- 
warld"  tales  of  brownies,  fairies,  ghosts,  and  witches, 
often  making  our  flesh  creep.  But  she  could  also  be 
amusing  and  cheerful  in  the  adventures  she  narrated. 
While  on  the  way  to  Clerkington  Mains,  I  asked  her 
to  tell  me  a  story.  "Yes,  she  would  :  it  was  a  story 
of  a  gypsy  woman  and  a  little  boy  who  was  carried 
away  in  a  ship  by  the  smugglers."  And  then  she 
began,  and  told  me,  in  a  manner  that  seemed  most 
graphic,  the  wonderful  adventures  of  Harry  Bertram 
and  Meg  Merrilies,  as  related  in  the  well-known  novel 
of  Guy  Mannerin^.  Many  years  after  I  read  the 
book,  and  found  that  she  had  omitted  nothing  of  the 
story  :  her  memory  was  so  good  and  her  power  of 
narration  so  excellent. 

When  a  boy,  I  was  taken  by  my  father  to  see  the 
Parliament  House  at  Edinburgh.  The  courts  were 
then  sitting,  and  in  one  of  them  I  saw  the  ''Great 
Unknown."  He  was  then  Clerk  to  the  Court  of 
Session,  and  sat,  with  another  clerk  opposite  him, 
beneath  the  Judges,  of  whom  Charles  Hope  was 
Lord  President — a  handsome,  splendid-looking  man, 


1820-5]      A  VISIT   TO   EDINBURGH  21 

with  an  admirable  voice.  I  saw  Walter  Scott  rise, 
and  limp  round  the  table  to  his  fellow-clerk ;  then, 
leaving  the  Court,  he  proceeded  down  Parliament 
House.  He  used  to  be  called  Peveril  of  the  Peak, 
because  of  the  loftiness  of  his  head.  I  saw  also  in  the 
Court,  Francis  Jeffrey  and  Henry  Cockburn ;  the 
former  a  bright,  keen-sighted  little  man,  with  a  finely 
chiselled  face ;  and  the  latter  distinguished  for  the 
penetrating  darkness  of  his  eyes. 

I  return  to  the  description  of  my  native  town. 
Haddington  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Tyne,  at  the  foot 
of  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Garleton  Hills.  There 
is  a  pleasant  walk  up  the  first  Plantain  to  the  top  of 
the  Kayheughs.  From  the  summit,  not  far  from  an 
ancient  British  earthwork,  and  looking  to  the  south, 
a  splendid  view  is  to  be  seen.  In  the  bottom  of  the 
valley  winds  the  river  Tyne.  In  the  hollow  lies  the 
old  town,  with  its  ancient  cathedral,  the  Lamp  of 
Lothian,  with  its  massive  central  tower,  rising 
above  all.  There  sleeps  the  hallowed  dust  of  many 
generations. 

To  the  west,  lies  the  richly  wooded  fertile  valley, 
over  the  woods  of  Saltoun,  once  the  seat  of  The 
Patriot,  Andrew  Fletcher,  towards  Moorfoot  and 
Soutra  Hill.  Looking  due  south,  the  eye  stretches 
over  the  plantations  surrounding  the  ancient  fortalice 
of  Lethington,  once  the  residence  of  Chancellor 
Maitland  (the  astute  secretary  and  adviser  of  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots),  where  the  ''Political's  Walk" 
is  still  to  be  seen.  The  eye  wanders  south,  over 
the  swelling  wooded  country  about  Eaglescarnie, 
Coulston,  and  Gifford,  with  the  ''Goblin  Ha'" 
amongst  the  trees,  until  the  view  ends  in  the  lofty 
range  of  the  Lammermuirs  with  their  blue  summits 
against  the  sky. 


22         YOUTHFUL  RECOLLECTIONS 

Down  the  valley  of  the  Tyne,  towards  the  east, 
the  landscape  extends  over  Amisfield,  Whitting- 
hame,  towards  Hailes  Castle,  where  the  ill-fated 
Queen  Mary  took  temporary  refuge  with  her  third 
husband,  after  spending  the  night  at  Bothwell 
House,  Haddington.  Waprain  Law  shuts  out  part 
of  the  view  to  the  east.  The  Law  is  a  huge  dome, 
having  no  connection  with  any  other  mountain 
range.  It  is  a  mass  of  trap  rock,  which  doubtless 
resisted,  in  some  remote  age,  the  mighty  current  of 
water  and  glacier  ice  which  rolled  over  the  country 
from  the  westward. 

But  fine  though  the  view  is  from  the  southern 
side  of  the  Garleton  Hills,  it  is  still  finer  from  the 
northern.  From  the  Skidhill  there  stretches  out  a 
far-reaching  plain,  containing  some  of  the  finest  agri- 
cultural land  in  East  Lothian.  It  extends  from 
beyond  Dunbar  in  the  east  to  Musselburgh  in  the 
west.  All  round  this  smiling  country,  lies  the  Firth 
of  Forth,  and  in  the  northern  distance  the  blue  hills 
of  Fife.  Beyond  Musselburgh  Bay,  Arthur's  Seat 
lies  like  an  elephant  at  rest,  w^ith  the  pillars  of  the 
National  Monument  on  Calton  Hill,  and  the  smoke 
of  Edinburgh  in  the  distance.  The  view  is  infinite 
and  varied.  Looking  northward,  some  five  miles  off, 
we  see  the  woods  of  Gosford  (the  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Wemyss),  Aberlady  Bay — where  Napoleon  was 
to  effect  his  landing — Gullane  Hill,  and  still  east- 
wards, the  ruins  of  Dirleton  Castle,  Balgonie,  the 
Red  House,  North  Berwick  Law  (a  long  extinct 
volcano),  the  Bass  Rock,  the  crumbling  ruins  of 
Tantallon  —  one  of  the  strongest  castles  of  the 
Douglases,  and  the  last  which  remained  in  their 
possession ;  and  far  out  at  sea,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Forth,  the  Isle  of  May,  crowned  with  its  lighthouse. 


1822]  KING    GEOEGE   IV  23 

One  fine  afternoon,  in  August  1822,  I  went  up 
to  the  Garleton  Hills  to  see  the  Royal  Fleet  on  its 
voyag-e  up  the  Forth  to  Leith.  Beyond  Gullane  Hill, 
three  ships  were  seen  nearly  close  to  each  other  ;  and 
we  were  told  by  some  naval  men,  who  had  their  spy- 
glasses with  them,  that  the  centre  ship  had  George  the 
Fourth  on  board,  on  his  way  to  Leith  and  Edinburgh. 
For  many  weeks  before  our  town  had  been  in  a  state 
of  excitement.  The  Mail  and  the  Union  were  loaded 
from  day  to  day.  Carts  and  waggons  passed  through 
the  streets,  full  of  heather,  the  national  badge  at  the 
time.  Everybody  must  go  to  Edinburgh  to  see  the 
famous  procession,  and  the  welcoming  of  the  king. 
I  was  considered  too  young  to  go,  but  my  eldest 
brother  went  with  my  father,  to  witness  the  wonderful 
sight. 

We  had  our  August  vacation,  and  I  afterwards 
went  to  see  my  numerous  relations  at  Dalkeith  while 
the  king  was  still  residing  with  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch. 
I  saw  the  ''curled  darling"  pass  along  the  High 
Street,  on  his  way  from  the  duke's  palace,  to  visit 
the  Marquis  of  Lothian  at  Newbattle  Abbey.  I  had 
merely  a  sight  of  the  king  in  passing,  for  his  carriage 
drove  on  at  a  rapid  rate.  The  Scots  Greys  were 
then  at  Dalkeith,  and  their  band  played  nearly  every 
morning  in  front  of  the  Parish  Church.  The  grey 
horses  were  terribly  used  up  by  their  frequent  gallop- 
ings  to  and  from  Edinburgh  when  escorting  the 
king. 

After  I  had  seen  my  relatives  at  Dalkeith,  I 
went  to  Lasswade,  Loanhead,  Hawthornden,  and 
Rosslyn,  to  visit  other  friends  there.  The  scenery 
along  the  North  Esk  is  very  charming ;  and  the  walk 
by  Poulton,  through  Hawthornden  to  Rosslyn,  is 
almost  unsurpassed  in  river  scenery.     The  remains 


24         YOUTHFUL  RECOLLECTIONS 

of  the  old  castle  at  Rosslyn  and  the  exquisitely 
restored  chapel — a  marvel  of  architectural  art — attract 
strangers  from  far  and  near. 

My  grandfather  was  still  alive.  He  was  still 
acting  as  an  elder  of  the  Cameronians.  Some  years 
before  my  last  visit  to  him,  I  was  present  at  a  field- 
preaching  of  the  congregation.  The  people  came  from 
great  distances.  They  sat  or  lay  about  on  the  grass  ; 
and  the  preachers  succeeded  each  other,  with  inter- 
vals, during  which  psalms  were  sung ;  the  services 
lasted  until  near  sunset. 

I  fear  I  must  have  been  a  great  ''tease"  to  these 
old  people  during  my  holidays.  I  had  a  little  cannon 
and  gunpowder,  and  kept  firing  away  nearly  all  day 
long.  The  neighbours  complained,  but  still  I  went 
on ;  at  length  I  burnt  my  hands  with  an  explosion 
of  gunpowder,  and  then  I  was  cured. 

My  grandfather  was  a  fine-looking  old  man.  He 
was  very  gentle  in  nature.  His  long,  white  hair  fell 
over  his  shoulders.  At  my  last  visit,  he  accompanied 
me  down  the  loan  for  about  a  mile.  He  was  evi- 
dently growing  weak  and  feeble.  He  bore  his  ninety 
years  well,  but  age  was  telling  upon  him.  At  last  he 
said,  "  I  am  weary,"  and  sat  down  upon  the  milestone. 
After  he  had  got  his  breath,  he  went  on,  "  My  dear 
laddie,  I  shall  never  see  you  any  more.  I  am  getting 
very  frail.  There  is  only  one  thing  I  have  got  to  do, 
and  that  is^ — to  dee.  Ye  are  very  young,  but  ye  will 
hae  to  do  the  same,  and  follow  me.  Now,  be  a  good 
boy ;  read  your  Bible ;  obey  your  parents ;  farewell, 
Samuel." 

And  so,  taking  a  loving  farewell  of  the  old  man,  I 
left  him  there.  On  looking  back,  I  saw  him  toddling 
feebly  up  the  hill.  I  never  saw  him  alive  again.  The 
next  time  I  witnessed  his  placid  face,  he  was  in  his 


1820-5]    MY   GRANDFATHEE'S  DEATH      25 

coffin.  I  attended  his  funeral  at  the  end  of  the  same 
year,  on  a  snowy  winter's  day.  He  was  buried  in 
Lasswade  churchyard,  near  the  monument  erected  to 
General  Sir  Archdale  Wilson  (the  victor  of  Delhi), 
which  overlooks  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Esk. 


CHAPTER  III 

A   STUDENT   OF   MEDICINE 

I  HAD  reached  my  fourteenth  year,  when  the  question 
arose,  what  was  I  to  be?  We  were  a  large  and 
growing  family,  and  every  one  of  us  must  do  some- 
thing, and  eventually  work  for  our  own  living. 

Adolphus  Trollope,  In  his  Recollections,  men- 
tions the  case  of  a  boy  who  was  asked  what  he  would 
like  to  be  when  he  grew  up  ?  The  boy's  answer  was, 
''  I  should  like  to  be  a  giant  or  a  retired  stockbroker !  " 
I  was  not  so  ambitious  as  this  ;  but  when  my  mother 
asked  me,  "What  would  you  like  to  be,  Sam?"  I 
answered,  "I  would  like  to  be  a  painter" — I  meant 
an  artist.  I  had  a  taste  for  drawing  and  colour,  and 
many  years  after  Illustrated  one  of  my  own  books. 

I  had  perhaps  been  inspired  by  the  art  of  my 
cousin  Yellowlees,  who  painted  the  portraits  of  my 
father  and  mother ;  and  I  greatly  admired  the 
drawings  of  the  Union  and  Mail  coaches,  which  he 
rapidly  threw  off.  But  my  mother  thought  that  I 
wished  to  be  a  ^^2/^^-paInter.  ''Oh  no!"  said  she, 
"that  Is  a  dirty  business."  I  did  not  answer;  and 
the  matter  slept  for  a  time. 

On  a  future  day,  she  again  asked  me,  "  Would  you 
no  like  to  be  a  minister?"  "Oh,  no!"  I  said 
decidedly,  "I'll  no  be  a  minister."     "What  for  no?" 

36 


1826]       CHOOSING  A  PROFESSION  27 

I  could  not  very  well  explain  then,  but  I  can  now.  We 
children  were  surfeited  with  preaching  and  ministering. 
Sunday,  the  *'day  of  rest,"  was  to  us  the  most 
exhausting  and  unpleasant  of  the  week.  Our  preacher 
was  a  combative  man.  He  preached  the  narrowest 
Calvinism,  and  there  was  far  more  fear  than  love  in 
his  sermons. 

We  had  to  work  very  hard  on  the  so-called  day  of 
rest.  In  the  morning,  after  prayers,  we  had  to  learn 
the  *'  carritch  "  and  a  "  paraphrage."  Then  we  went  to 
the  kirk,  and  after  singing  and  prayers,  we  listened  to  a 
sermon  often  more  than  an  hour  long,  and  got  out  at 
one.  After  refreshment,  we  went  to  kirk  again  at 
two ;  heard  another  sermon,  and  were  dismissed  at 
four.  Then  we  had  to  say  our  catechism  and  para- 
phrase. There  was  actually  a  third  sermon  at  six 
o'clock ;  we  got  home  at  eight,  and  said  our  cate- 
chism and  paraphrase.  We  had  no  sort  of  recreation 
on  Sundays.  Walking,  except  to  the  kirk,  was 
forbidden.  Books  were  interdicted,  excepting  the 
Bible,  the  Catechism,  and  the  Secession  Magazine, 
or  perhaps  some  book  of  Evangelical  sermons. 

I  have  no  doubt  it  was  all  intended  for  our  good ; 
but  I  never  in  my  youth  had  any  agreeable  recollec- 
tions of  Sundays.  Our  minister  was  a  good  and 
hard-working  man.  He,  no  doubt,  gave  us  all  that 
he  had  to  give ;  but  he  was  wearisome  and  unsym- 
pathetic; and  his  doctrines,  though  intended  to 
frighten  us  into  goodness,  had  perhaps  the  very 
reverse  effect.  There  was  no  wonder,  therefore,  that 
I  should  not  wish  to  be  a  minister. 

The  next  question  put  to  me  by  my  mother  was 
this:  ''Would  you  no  like  to  be  a  doctor?"  The 
question  was  rather  startling  at  first.  There  were 
many  prejudices  about  doctors  in  my  younger  days. 


28  A   STUDENT  OF  MEDICINE 

Our  servants  used  to  tell  the  trembling-  children  about 
the  "black  doctors "  that  were  ready  to  clap  a  plaster 
over  our  mouths,  and  carry  us  away  no  one  knew 
whither.  Then,  a  regular  watch  and  ward  was  held 
over  the  parish  burying-g-round,  to  prevent  the 
**  doctors"  rifling  the  graves,  for  the  purposes  of  the 
dissecting-rooms  at  Edinburgh.  I  remember  going 
with  my  father,  when  he  was  on  the  watch,  to  take 
the  first  turn  with  him  round  the  churchyard.  There 
were  three  or  four  men,  I  think,  one  of  whom  was 
elected  the  foreman.  They  were  supplied  with  some 
old  muskets,  mounted  with  bayonets,  to  give  the 
resurrectionists  a  warm  reception.  This  frightful 
state  of  things  culminated  a  few  years  later,  in  the 
murders  by  Burke  and  Hare  of  living  ''subjects" 
for  Dr  Knox's  anatomy  class  at  Edinburgh. 

But  doctors  were  necessary  for  many  reasons.  It 
so  happened  that  I  fell  down  a  hatchway,  and  tore 
open  my  groin,  very  near  the  femoral  artery.  The 
doctor  was  sent  for,  and  put  in  two  stitches,  and  I 
was  soon  well  again.  This  doctor  was  Robert 
Lewins,  a  very  pleasant,  kindly  man,  full  of  anecdote. 
His  partner  was  Dr  Robert  Lorimer,  eldest  son  of 
the  minister  of  the  Parish  Church,  also  an  excellent 
person.  When  I  was  recovering  from  my  wound,  my 
mother  asked  Dr  Lewins  if  he  could  take  me  as  an 
apprentice.  ''Yes,"  he  answered,  "my  apprentice, 
James  Dorward,  is  just  leaving  me  for  Edinburgh,  to 
attend  the  classes  there ;  so  that  I  have  an  opening 
for  your  son."  It  was  arranged  accordingly  ;  and  on 
the  6th  November  1826,  I  was  bound  apprentice  to 
Drs  Lewins  and  Lorimer  for  five  years. 

There  was  not  much  to  be  done  in  my  new 
vocation.  I  had  to  learn  the  nature  and  the  qualities 
of  drugs,  and  how  to  make  up  prescriptions,  pills, 


1826]        A   MEDICAL  APPRENTICE  29 

mixtures,  potions,  ointments,  blisters,  infusions, 
tinctures,  and  such  like.  In  course  of  time,  I  learnt 
the  arts  of  bleeding-  and  bandaging-.  I  had  to  assist 
in  attending  the  poorer  class  of  patients.  I  also  went 
on  with  my  own  education.  There  were  plenty  of 
libraries  in  the  town,  and  I  used  them  freely.  There 
was  the  Town's  Library — a  collection  of  books  that 
had  been  made  over  to  the  burgh  by  the  Rev.  John 
Gray,  together  with  an  endowment,  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  years  before.  Most  of  the  books  were 
theological,  but  some  of  the  recent  additions  were 
valuable.  But  I  did  not  make  much  use  of  the 
library.  Patrick  Hardie,  the  master  of  the  English 
School,  was  the  librarian ;  and  when  I  took  out 
Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall,  he  havered  a  bit  to  me, 
in  his  dictatorial  way,  as  to  how  I  was  to  read  it. 
I  did  not  like  this,  and  went  to  other  libraries.    • 

There  was  another  popular  collection  of  books, 
called  *'  Begbie's  Library,"  left  by  some  native  of 
the  town  for  general  use,  together  with  a  small 
salary  for  the  person  who  kept  it  and  gave  out  the 
books.  But  the  library  that  I  made  the  most  use 
of  was  the  East  Lothian  Itinerating  Library,  founded 
and  worked  by  that  most  excellent  man,  the  late 
Samuel  Brown.  Having  been  laid  up  by  illness,  he 
derived  great  consolation,  during  his  protracted 
recovery,  from  the  perusal  of  good  and  entertaining 
books.  It  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  help  to' 
give  the  same  consolation  to  others,  who  were  less 
able  to  provide  it.  It  seems  that  a  number  of 
"balances  of  militia  insurance"  remained  in  his 
hands,  for  which  he  could  find  no  claimants.  With 
part  of  these  balances  he  procured  two  hundred  select 
volumes,  some  of  which  were  of  a  moral  and  religious 
tendency,  and  the  others  books  of  travels,  agriculture, 


30  A   STUDENT  OF  MEDICINE 

the  mechanical  arts,  and  general  science.  He  divided 
these  into  four  assorted  sets  of  fifty  volumes  each, 
and  stationed  them  in  four  large  villages,  under  the 
superintendence  of  gratuitous  librarians.  After  the 
books  had  remained  there  for  a  certain  time,  they 
were  removed  to  other  districts.  The  interest  of  the 
readers  was  thus  kept  alive  in  these  itinerating  books  ; 
and  the  habit  of  reading  was  developed  and  fostered. 

In  order  to  maintain  and  extend  the  libraries, 
subscriptions  were  invited.  The  newly-purchased 
books  were  kept  for  two  years  in  the  three  principal 
towns  of  the  county,  for  the  use  of  the  annual 
subscribers  of  five  shillings ;  after  which  they  were 
merged  in  the  general  circulation.  In  this  manner, 
after  some  twenty  years  of  well-sustained  devotion 
to  his  enterprise,  and  by  dint  of  much  personal 
sacrifice,  Samuel  Brown  had  set  forty-seven  excellent 
libraries  in  circulatory  motion  through  the  county ; 
and  there  was  scarcely  an  inhabitant  who  was  not 
within  a  mile  and  a  half  from  one  of  these  institutions. 
As  Haddington  was  the  centre  of  the  movement,  I 
had  the  advantage  of  perusing  all  the  new  books  as 
they  came  out ;  and  in  this  way  I  greatly  added  to 
my  store  of  knowledge. 

There  were  other  libraries  in  the  town,  besides 
these :  the  Subscription  Library,  to  which  I  did  not 
then  belong  ;  and  two  circulating  libraries — Tait's 
and  Niell's — from  which  all  the  novels  and  miscel- 
laneous works  of  the  day  might  be  obtained.  There 
was  thus  no  want  of  reading,  for  those  who  might 
be  disposed  to  dip  into  the  vast  stores  of  accumulated 
knowledge,  poetry,  literature,  fiction,  and  theology. 

There  was  another  excellent  institution  that 
Samuel  Brown  was  mainly  instrumental  in  found- 
ing :    and  that    was    the    "  Haddington    School   of 


1826]    BOOKS,  LIBEARIES,  LECTURES       31 

Arts,"  which  very  shortly  followed  the  formation  of 
a  similar  school  at  Edinburg-h.  My  master  and 
friend,  Dr  Robert  Lorimer,  was  one  of  the  first  to 
give  lectures  to  the  members,  on  the  principles  of 
Mechanics,  and  on  Chemistry.  The  lectures  were 
well  attended  by  the  leading-  mechanics  of  the  town. 
I  remember  three  of  them,  who  worked  as  carpenters 
for  the  Messrs  Scoular  of  Sunnybank.  They  made 
carts,  ploughs,  and  agricultural  implements.  Two 
of  these  men  saved  money  enough  during  the  summer 
to  pay  for  their  class  instruction  at  Edinburgh 
University  during  the  winter.  One  became  the 
minister  of  a  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Blackburn  ; 
another  became  master  of  a  large  public  school  at 
Hull;  and  the  third,  who  remained  a  mechanic,  rose 
higher  than  the  others.  His  name  was  Andrew 
Lamb.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  student  at  the  School 
of  Arts.  I  remember  him  well,  for  he  used  to  attend 
the  committee  meeting  of  the  Juvenile  Missionary 
Society,  for  which  I  was  a  rather  irregular  collector. 
He  shortly  after  left  Haddington ;  but  many  years 
after,  he  called  upon  me  at  the  London  Bridge 
Station.  He  was  then  General  Manager  of  the 
Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company,  and 
the  dispenser  of  considerable  political  power  at 
Southampton,  where  he  then  resided. 

Dr  Lorimer  gave  several  courses  of  Lectures  on 
Chemistry  and  the  Arts  at  Haddington  and  Dunbar 
during  the  time  that  I  was  under  him  ;  and  he  did 
me  the  honour  to  select  me  as  his  assistant.  He 
was  a  most  kind  man,  and  instructed  me  faithfully, 
giving  me  much  good  advice.  He  put  me  in  the 
way  of  preparing  all  kinds  of  gases  for  the  lectures  ; 
and  while  he  was  absent  visiting  his  patients,  I  went 
on  with  the  work.     There  was  both  interest  and  in- 


32  A   STUDENT  OF  MEDICINE 

struction  in  all  this ;  and  it  helped  me  much  in  my 
future  studies.  Dr  Lewins  was  also  very  kind.  I 
had  access  to  his  library.  He  had  a  finely  assorted 
stock  of  the  old  English  novelists — Fielding-,  Richard- 
son, and  Smollett ;  and  I  fear  I  paid  more  attention 
to  these  than  to  the  scientific  works  which  his  library 
contained.  Yet  it  was  well  to  know  what  had  been 
done  by  the  great  men  who  lived  before  us. 

I  once  witnessed  the  doctor  in  the  throes  of 
literary  composition.  It  was  a  tremendous  business. 
We  went  into  a  back  bedroom  in  the  furthest  corner 
of  the  house,  so  as  not  to  be  disturbed  by  the  noises 
in  the  kitchen.  The  doctor  dressed  himself  in  his 
long-,  hanging  shawl-gown  ;  strode  about  the  floor, 
and  dictated.  The  product  was  an  article  on  Infantile 
Remittent  Fever.  I  knew  it  thoroughly,  for  I  wrote 
it  over  three  or  four  times.  It  was  full  of  rather  long 
words,  such  as  ''intromittent,"  ''exacerbations,"  and 
so  on.  The  paper  appeared  a  few  years  later  in  the 
Bdinburg'k  Medical  J otirnal. 

I  went  on  with  my  education  at  the  same  time. 
For  this  purpose,  I  attended  Mr  Johnstone,  master 
of  the  Parish  School,  in  the  evening.  I  took  instruc- 
tions from  him  in  Mathematics,  French,  and  Latin. 
Johnstone  was  a  most  accomplished  man,  full  of 
accumulated  knowledge ;  he  was  a  good  linguist,  a 
good  mathematician,  and  stored  with  information, 
which  ebbed  out  in  every  word  of  his  discourses.  I 
did  not  know  at  the  time,  but  I  afterwards  ascer- 
tained, that  he  was  an  intimate  friend  and  corre- 
spondent of  Thomas  Carlyle.  It  came  out  in  this 
way.  Many  years  after  (in  1882),  when  Carlyle's 
name  had  become  distinguished,  Mr  Johnstone's 
daughter — then  living  at  Lockerby,  in  Dumfriesshire 
—sent  me  a  large  number  of  letters  from  Carlyle  to 


1826]    NEIGHBOURS  AT  HADDINGTON     33 

her  father ;  asking  me  to  edit  them,  and  give  them  to 
the  public.  As  I  knew  that  Mr  Froude  was  then 
busy  with  Carlyle's  Life,  I  recommended  her  to  send 
them  to  him,  for  the  purpose  of  being-  included  in  the 
biography.  But  I  presume  she  did  not  take  my 
advice,  as,  at  the  time  at  which  I  write,  they  have 
not  yet  been  published. 

Perhaps  they  scarcely  merited  a  separate  publica- 
tion. They  consisted  principally  of  letters  written  by 
Carlyle  to  Johnstone,  after  the  former  had  left  Eccle- 
fechan  (where  Johnstone's  father  was  the  burgher 
minister)  for  Edinburgh,  down  to  the  period  of 
Johnstone's  becoming  the  parish  teacher  at  Hadding- 
ton. The  letters  are  written  in  an  ordinary  English 
style,  and  not  in  the  Carlylese  language  which  was 
afterwards  invented.  The  first  letter  was  the  best : 
it  described  Carlyle's  journey  by  coach  to  Edinburgh 
in  the  midst  of  a  snowstorm. 

In  one  of  the  later  letters,  after  Johnstone  had 
intimated  his  intention  of  applying  for  the  office  of 
parish  teacher  at  Haddington,  Carlyle  recommended 
his  friend  to  visit  Miss  Jeanie  Welsh,  and  secure  her 
influence.  Miss  Welsh  knew  a  Mr  Gilbert  Burns, 
brother  of  the  poet,  who  had  considerable  influence 
with  the  "heritors"  of  the  parish,  who  elected  the 
teacher.  Gilbert  Burns  had  first  come  into  the 
neighbourhood  as  steward  for  Mr  Dunlop  of  West 
Morham,  whose  wife,  Mrs  Dunlop  of  Dunlop,  in 
Ayrshire,  was  an  intimate  friend  and  correspondent 
of  Robert  Burns  in  1786-96.  Some  of  Burns'  most 
powerful  letters  were  addressed  to  that  amiable  and 
accomplished  lady.  After  the  estate  in  East  Lothian 
had  been  sold  by  her  son,  Captain  Dunlop,  Gilbert 
Burns  was  appointed  factor  of  Lord  Blantyre's  estate 
of  Lennoxton  (formerly  Lethington),  and  removed  to 


34  A   STUDENT  OF  MEDICINE 

Grantsbraes,  where  he  resided  till  his  death  in  1827. 
The  result  of  the  application  to  Gilbert  Burns,  through 
Jeanie  Welsh,  proved  successful.  Johnstone  was 
appointed  parish  school  teacher,  and  I  became  his 
pupil.  Miss  Welsh  shortly  after  married  the  modern 
Jeremiah.  It  was  thought  that  she  might  have 
done  better.  Her  friends  were  of  opinion  that 
she  had  thrown  herself  away  ''upon  a  dominie"! 
Carlyle  had  been  a  teacher,  with  Irving,  at  Kirk- 
caldy. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  year  of  my  apprenticeship, 
Dr  Lewins  removed  to  Leith,  for  the  purpose  of 
succeeding  Dr  Kellie,  his  former  master.  He  took 
me  with  him,  and  I  then  began  to  attend  the  medical 
classes  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  I  matricu- 
lated in  November,  1829,  and  attended  the  lectures 
of  Dr  Duncan  for  Materia  Medica,  Dr  Hope  for 
Chemistry,  and  Mr  Lizars  for  Anatomy.  The 
lectures  began  at  9  a.m.,  and  I  walked  up  from  Leith 
to  Edinburgh — a  distance  of  about  three  miles.  In 
the  dead  of  winter,  I  used  to  breakfast  in  the  dark, 
and  then  push  up  the  hill  in  time  to  be  present  at 
the  beginning  of  the  lecture.  Chemistry  followed, 
then  Anatomy.  I  returned  to  Leith  by  midday,  to 
give  such  assistance  as  I  could  to  Dr  Lewins. 

My  life  then  was  very  pleasant.  There  was  the 
bustle  of  the  seaport,  the  scenery  by  the  seaside,  the 
daily  walks  to  and  from  the  College,  the  picturesque 
beauty  of  Edinburgh,  which  never  tires,  and  the 
friends  and  acquaintances  I  made — all  of  these  made 
life  very  agreeable  and  enjoyable.  One  of  my  most 
treasured  friends  was  Adam  Hope — a  most  active, 
energetic,  and  sensible  fellow — the  brother  of  George 
Hope.  He  was  then  learning  his  business  at  the 
extensive  engineering  works  and  sawmills  of  Burstall 


1829]  DR  JOHN   BROWN  35 

&  Co.  He  afterwards  went  out  to  Canada,  where  he 
founded  a  town,  and  made  a  reputation. 

In  the  following  year,  I  took  lodgings  in  Edinburgh, 
near  the  College,  and  went  on  with  my  studies — 
more  especially  in  Anatomy.  I  also  attended  the 
lectures  of  Liston  on  Surgery  and  Dr  Fletcher  on  the 
Institutions  of  Medicine.  Both  were  very  able  men. 
The  first  was  perhaps  the  most  dexterous  surgeon 
of  his  time  ;  the  other  was  a  most  profound  lecturer 
on  his  branch  of  science.  He  was  an  extensive 
reader,  and  brought  the  science  of  all  Europe  to  bear 
upon  his  subject.  When  the  works  of  Darwin 
afterwards  came  out,  I  felt  that  Fletcher  had  long 
before  expounded  very  much  the  same  views  ;  or,  at 
all  events,  had  heralded  his  approach.  After  his 
death,  which  happened  a  few  years  later,  Dr  Lewins, 
who  was  his  intimate  friend,  edited  his  Lectures, 
which  fully  show  the  calibre  and  genius  of  the  man. 

One  of  my  friends,  a  fellow-attendant  at  Dr 
Fletcher's  lectures,  was  John  Brown — afterwards  the 
celebrated  author  of  Rab  and  his  Friends.  He  was 
then  in  a  jacket,  a  fellow  of  infinite  humour,  though 
very  shy.  It  was  some  time  before  one  could  get 
into  his  nature.  But  when  once  there,  it  was  impos- 
sible not  to  love  him.  I  knew  his  cousin  Samuel 
better  than  himself  Samuel  Brown  was  a  native 
of  my  own  town,  and  I  had  much  controversy  and 
correspondence  with  him.  He  represented  Shelley's 
ideal  character — '*a  pard-like  spirit,  beautiful  and 
swift."  Even  when  a  boy,  he  was  full  of  theories — 
not  always  well  grounded.  He  was  rapid  and  im- 
petuous, and  came  to  his  conclusions  in  too  sudden 
a  manner.     I  shall  return  to  him  later  on. 


CHAPTER  IV 

REFORM — THE  LAUDER  RAID — THE  CHOLERA 

About  this  time  "Reform"  was  in  the  air.  The 
three  days  at  Paris  in  July  1830  had  wakened  up 
Europe,  and  excited  a  general  desire  for  change.  In 
England  and  Scotland  there  was  much  distress,  and 
in  the  south  of  Ireland,  the  people,  as  usual,  were  in 
trouble.  There  were  rick-burning's  in  Kent  and  the 
southern  counties,  machine-breaking  in  the  manu- 
facturing districts,  trials  of  radicals  at  Glasgow,  and 
distress  among  the  working-classes  generally.  It 
was  thought  that  Reform  of  Parliament  was  para- 
mount above  all  other  reforms.  The  sailor  king  had 
ascended  the  throne,  and  was  favourable  to  the  new 
views.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  retired  from  office, 
and  Earl  Grey  came  into  power.  Parliament  met  on 
the  3rd  of  February  1831,  and  on  the  ist  of  March 
following  Lord  John  Russell  brought  forward  his 
measure  for  Parliamentary  Reform.  The  whole 
country  was  roused  by  the  proposal.  Shoals  of  peti- 
tions were  sent  in  from  all  quarters ;  political  unions 
were  formed ;  and  a  state  very  nearly  approaching 
"the  Revolutionary  Epoch"  seemed  to  be  on  foot. 
The  second  reading  was  carried  by  a  majority  of  one. 
There  was  a  great  illumination  at  Edinburgh  on 
that  occasion.    The  city  lights  up  brilliantly,  especially 


1831]  EEFORM  37 

when  seen  from  the  Calton  Hill  or  the  North  Bridge. 
There  is  the  long  vista  of  Princes  Street  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  lofty  lighted-up  houses  of  the  Old 
Town  on  the  other.  But  the  mob — always  the 
biggest  of  despots — proved  unruly.  Everybody 
must  agree  with  the  mob,  or  take  the  consequences. 
On  this  occasion  it  proceeded  to  break  the  windows 
of  those  who  did  not  light  up.  There  was  a  large 
quantity  of  metal  laid  down  for  the  repair  of  the 
macadamised  road  along  Princes  Street,  which 
suited  them  handily.  They  took  up  the  stones,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  charges  of  the  police,  smashed 
many  windows. 

I  think  it  was  in  George  Street,  where  the  mob 
went  careering  along,  that  they  came  to  a  large 
house  not  lit  up.  They  began  to  smash,  when 
suddenly  three  beautiful  women  came  forward,  on 
to  the  balcony,  each  with  a  lighted  candle  in  her 
hand.  They  saved  the  house.  The  mob  worships 
beauty  and  courage.  They  set  up  a  loud  cheer,  and 
went  on  in  their  wild  fury.  **The  glorious  majority 
of  one"  was  displayed  in  many  places.  Some 
thought  it  was  a  satire. 

The  ministers  were  eventually  left  in  a  minority. 
The  king  dissolved  Parliament,  and  the  members 
went  back  to  their  constituents.  And  now  followed 
a  desperate  struggle.  The  country  was  in  a  whirl- 
wind of  excitement.  The  new  writs  were  made 
returnable  on  the  14th  of  June,  and  the  turmoil  of 
the  election  of  the  new  Parliament  proceeded  in  town 
and  country.  The  cry  was,  ''The  Bill,  the  whole 
Bill,  and  nothing  but  the  Bill."  A  monster  meeting 
was  held  in  the  King's  Park,  Edinburgh,  at  which  I 
was  present  as  a  spectator,  when  enthusiastic  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  carried.     At  the  close  of  the 


38    EEFORM— LAUDER  RAID— CHOLERA 

University  Classes  at  the  end  of  April,  1831,  I 
returned  to  Haddington,  where  I  found  the  same 
excitement  prevailing  about  the  Bill. 

Haddington  was  one  of  a  group  of  five  burghs 
returning  a  member  to  Parliament.  They  took  it 
in  turn  to  be  the  returning  burgh.  This  time  it 
was  the  turn  of  Lauder,  a  little  town  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Lammermuir  Hills.  Haddington  and 
Jedburgh,  the  two  largest  burghs,  had  declared  in 
favour  of  the  Reform  Candidate;  Dunbar  and 
North  Berwick  in  favour  of  the  Tory ;  but  Lauder 
was  considered  doubtful.  It  depended  upon  its 
decision  whether  Robert  Stewart,  of  Alderston,  the 
Reformer,  should  be  returned  to  Parliament,  or  Sir 
A.  J.  Dairy mple,  the  nominee  of  Lord  Lauderdale, 
the  Anti- Reformer.  I  do  not  know  what  arrange- 
ments were  made,  but  I  knew  that  a  strong 
detachment  of  the  Haddington  Reformers  intended  to 
march  to  Lauder,  and  take  steps  to  secure  the  return  of 
their  candidate  in  one  way  or  another.  I  accordingly 
resolved  to  go  across  the  Lammermuir  Hills  and 
witness  the  proceedings. 

It  was  a  fine  day  in  May,  and  I  greatly  enjoyed 
the  walk  to  Lammerlaw.  I  had  been  at  the  top 
of  the  cairn  on  the  hill-top  the  year  before,  and 
enjoyed  the  glorious  view.  I  went  by  Gifford,  past 
the  Woods  of  Yester,  and  through  Long  Yester  farm, 
up  the  track  through  the  heather;  skirting  the 
many  remains  of  camps  of  ancient  tribes  who  had 
occupied  the  country  long  before  the  inroads  of  the 
Scots  and  Picts,  who,  after  all,  were  but  interlopers. 
The  air  was  sharp,  crisp,  and  bracing,  as  I  ascended 
the  hill ;  near  the  summit  I  descended  the  rounded 
slopes  of  the  Lammermuirs — a  perfect  sea  of  hills — 
lying  silent  and  sublime,   as  far  as   the  eye  could 


1831]  HADDINGTON   BUEGHS  39 

reach.  Not  a  sound  was  heard,  except  the  whirr  of 
a  moorfowl  on  Its  way  to  cover,  or  the  occasional  cry 
of  a  startled  sheep. 

Amidst  the  stillness  of  nature,  which  was  impres- 
sive in  its  loneliness,  I  went  onward  to  Tullis  Hill. 
Here  I  met  the  first  man  I  had  encountered  for 
many  miles — a  shepherd.  He  was  standing-  signal- 
ing- with  his  arms  to  a  dog  on  the  opposite  hill,  which 
was  divided  from  us  by  a  deep  glen.  I  could  scarcely 
see  the  dog  at  first.  It  looked  like  a  moving  spot 
of  dark  upon  the  green ;  and  the  sheep  looked 
like  white  bits  of  wool  upon  the  hillside.  But 
the  dog  was  at  work.  As  the  shepherd  near  me 
lifted  his  arms  and  signalled,  the  dog,  watching  him, 
ran  up  the  hill  in  one  direction  or  the  other  as  he 
had  pointed ;  and  in  course  of  time  he  brought  the 
flock  all  together,  home  to  the  sheep-farm. 

Descending-  the  mountain  on  the  southern  side  I 
went  on  to  Hazeldean,  passing  several  more  of  the 
ancient  camps  already  mentioned,  and  after  skirting 
along  the  burn  on  its  way  to  join  the  river  Leader, 
I  struck  the  high  road  from  Edinburgh,  and  after 
about  ten  miles  more  walking  from  the  summit  of 
Lammerlaw,  reached  the  town  of  Lauder — the  scene 
of  the  intended  election  on  the  following  day.  I  took 
up  my  quarters  with  a  friend,  and  shortly  after  went 
into  the  streets  to  see  the  new  arrivals  from  the 
adjoining  towns.  I  met  the  two  law  agents — 
Messrs  Stobie  and  Younger — and  was  invited  by 
them  to  join  their  party  in  a  room  upstairs,  in  the 
second  inn  of  the  town — the  principal  inn,  the 
Lauderdale  Arms,  being  appropriated  by  the  other 
party. 

I  found  the  little  room  hot  and  fuming  with  the 
steam  of  whisky  toddy.     The  leading  reformers  were 


40    EEFORM— LAUDER  RAID— CHOLERA 

all  there ;  and  Robert  Stewart,  the  candidate,  was 
present.  It  was  a  sort  of  free-and-easy,  and  in  the 
midst  of  conversation,  songs  were  given.  Deacon 
Melville,  the  Haddington  tailor,  sang  his  song, 
beginning,  "Away  ye  gay  landskips,  ye  gardings 
of  roses,"  and  ending  with  *'dark  Loch  na  Garr." 
Other  songs  followed,  but  I  did  not  wait  until  the 
close  of  the  sitting. 

On  the  following  morning,  crowds  of  strangers 
entered  the  town.  The  principal  procession  came 
from  Haddington.  It  consisted  of  a  lot  of  reformers, 
headed  by  ''General"  Badger,  and  accompanied  by 
a  public  speaker,  "Orator"  Maclauchlan — a  diminu- 
tive baker  of  the  Newgate.  As  the  time  for  the 
election  approached,  a  crowd  of  men  assembled 
opposite  the  Lauderdale  Arms.  Lord  Maitland,  Sir 
Anthony  Maitland,  and  others,  issued  from  the  inn, 
and  proceeded  across  the  street  to  the  Council  Room, 
escorted  by  their  gamekeepers  and  farm  stewards. 
The  Maitlands  were  allowed  to  pass ;  but  a  tussle 
took  place  with  the  gamekeepers.  I  saw  a  young 
Haddington  carpenter  bring  down  the  thick  end  of 
his  stick  on  the  bald  crown  of  the  head  gamekeeper. 
He  went  down  like  a  shot.  It  was  a  most  cruel 
assault.  Sir  Anthony  Maitland  went  up  the  outside 
stairs  of  the  Council  Room,  and  shook  his  fist  at  the 
foaming  crowd,  vowing  vengeance. 

The  most  important  event,  however,  occurred  at 
some  distance  from  the  town.  One  of  the  councillors. 
Bailie  Simpson,  was  in  a  delicate  state  of  health,  and 
did  not  intend  to  vote.  A  post-chaise  was  sent  for 
him  by  the  Lauderdale  party ;  but  another  chaise 
was  also  in  readiness,  with  a  fleet  pair  of  horses. 
At  a  corner  of  the  road,  the  carriage  containing  the 
bailie  was  stopped,    the  bailie  was   hustled  out  and 


1831]    A  PARLIAMENTARY  ELECTION    41 

put  in  the  new  chaise.  The  one  which  had  con- 
tained him  was  upset  in  the  ditch  by  a  powerful 
flesher  of  Haddington,  and  the  voter  was  driven 
rapidly  away  towards  Blainslie.  The  time  for  the 
election  had  now  arrived.  It  could  not  be  post- 
poned. The  voting"  took  place,  and  Robert  Stewart 
was  declared  elected  by  a  majority  of  one — again  **  the 
glorious  majority  of  one !  " 

The  procession  again  re-formed  and  marched  off 
to  Haddington,  elated  with  their  victory.  I  did  not 
return  until  the  following  day,  when  I  again  crossed 
the  mountains ;  but  I  was  informed  that  on  the 
arrival  of  the  procession  at  Haddington,  they  were 
headed  by  several  men  with  blazing  tar-barrels  on 
their  heads  ;  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  the 
scene  had  been  very  startling.  The  people  were 
perfectly  frantic  with  joy  and  excitement. 

A  few  days  later,  the  new  member  made  his  entry 
into  the  town.  He  was  enthusiastically  received  at 
Laurencehouse,  about  a  mile  out  of  the  town,  by 
men,  women,  and  boys — for  boys  are  always  on  the 
winning  side.  They  are  a  perspiring  phalanx  in  the 
van  of  all  public  movements.  During  the  Reform 
era  every  boy  was  a  reformer.  To  please  the  boys 
and  the  people  generally,  and  perhaps  to  show  the 
general  enthusiasm,  an  extempore  band  was  got  up 
and  headed  the  procession.  It  consisted  principally 
of  a  splendid  big  drum,  which  used  to  belong  to  the 
Haddington  Militia.  It  was  lent  by  Peter  Martine, 
who,  though  a  Tory,  showed  his  liberality  by  lending 
the  drum,  which  was  beaten  by  a  lame  Radical 
weaver,  who  in  his  early  days  had  been  a  big 
drummer.  There  were,  however,  other  instruments. 
There  were  two  key  buglers,  one  Hugh  Shields,  the 
parish  precentor,  who  played  very  well ;  the  other,  a 


42    REFORM— LAUDER  RAID—CHOLERA 

carpenter,  who  played  very  badly.  There  was  also 
Tom  Muat,  the  shoemaker,  who  played  the  clarionet. 
The  music  was  shockingly  bad  ;  but  it  didn't  matter. 
The  crowd  made  up  for  it  by  their  enthusiasm. 
Then  there  were  speeches,  made  by  the  orators,  and 
received  with  immense  applause  by  the  multitude. 

Of  course  the  election  could  not  stand.  It  was 
petitioned  against,  and  Robert  Stewart  was  unseated, 
when  Sir  A.  J.  Dalrymple  became  the  sitting  member 
for  the  burgh  during  the  expiring  days  of  the  old 
parliamentary  system.  Attempts  were  made  to 
detect  the  authors  of  the  outrage  at  Lauder.  The 
chaise  driver,  who  drove  away  the  voter,  was  appre- 
hended and  imprisoned  for  twelve  months.  But  the 
powerful  flesher  of  Haddington,  who  had  been  the 
main  instrument,  was  never  found  out.  The  young 
carpenter  who  smote  down  the  gamekeeper  was,  by 
some  means,  enabled  to  leave  the  town,  and  was  never 
afterwards  heard  of  One  of  the  leading  councillors 
received  his  reward.  He  was  made  a  magistrate  in 
the  West  Indies.  Such  was  the  outcome  of  ''The 
Lauder  Raid."  Robert  Stewart  was  returned  to 
Parliament  without  opposition  at  the  first  election 
under  the  Reform  Act ;  and  he  continued  to  be 
member  for  the  burghs  until  he  was  unseated  by 
Balfour  of  Whittinghame  some  ten  years  later. 

To  return  to  my  own  personal  history,  I  went  back 
to  Edinburgh  in  the  following  November.  This  was 
my  third  session.  I  attended  the  Anatomical  Classes 
and  Practical  Surgery  under  the  two  Messrs  Lizars  ; 
Practice  of  Physic  under  Dr  Mackintosh  ;  and  walked 
the  Infirmary  at  midday.  Here  Lis  ton  was  the 
principal  surgeon  when  any  important  operation  was 
to  be  performed. 

Asiatic  cholera  was   now  travelling  north-west- 


1832]          DEATH   OF  MY  FATHER  43 

wards  through  Europe,  in  the  direction  of  Engfland. 
It  had  reached  Hamburg,  and  was  about  to  visit 
this  country.  The  first  cases,  I  think,  occurred  at 
Gateshead  :  and  the  next  at  Haddington.  Early  one 
morning  in  January  1832,  I  was  roused  by  a  loud 
knocking  at  the  door  of  my  lodging  at  Edinburgh.  I 
had  been  suffering  from  a  frightful  dream.  I  knew 
at  once  that  something  must  be  wrong  at  home,  and 
feared  the  worst.  I  opened  the  window  myself,  and 
asked  what  was  wanted.  I  was  told  that  I  must  go 
out  to  Haddington  immediately,  as  my  father  was  ill 
of  cholera.  A  gig  was  at  the  door  to  carry  me  out. 
I  got  ready  at  once,  and  was  on  my  way  within  a 
quarter  of  an  hour.  It  was  a  fine  winter  morning, 
and  the  sun  came  up  over  the  Forth,  as  we  drove  over 
Birslae  Brae.  Though  Forsyth,  the  livery  stable 
master,  drove  fast,  we  arrived  too  late.  My  father 
was  dead  when  I  entered  the  room  where  he  lay  in 
his  last  placid  sleep.  I  recognised  the  strong  likeness 
to  my  grandfather  when  I  had  last  seen  him.  I  had 
never  witnessed  the  likeness  before ;  but  family 
resemblance  often  comes  out  in  the  moment  of 
death. 

Cholera  was  very  deadly  in  the  town  at  that  time. 
Many  died  in  the  front  street,  near  where  my  father 
lived.  The  cause  of  the  fatality  was  afterwards  dis- 
covered— want  of  wholesome  water,  and  utter  want  of 
drainage.  The  defect  was  at  length  remedied,  after 
many  years'  delay.  My  father  was  buried  in  the  choir 
of  the  old  Cathedral  at  Haddington,  close  by  the 
burial  place  of  Dr  John  Welsh,  whose  daughter,  Mrs 
Carlyle,  was  afterwards  interred  there. 

There  was  great  sorrow  and  lamentation  at  home. 
A  family  of  eleven  children  had  to  be  provided  for 
— the  youngest  an   infant,  only  three  months  old. 


44    REFOEM— LAUDER  RAID— CHOLERA 

I  remained  at  home  for  some  time,  as  a  consolation 
to  my  mother.  I  did  not  know  at  first  whether  I  was 
to  gfo  on  with  my  medical  education  or  not.  It 
might  possibly  be  too  costly — looking-  to  the  circum- 
stances in  which  we  were  placed.  Then,  another 
serious  circumstance  occurred.  My  father  had  been 
surety,  with  two  others,  for  his  elder  brother  John, 
who  was  a  paper  manufacturer  at  Colinton,  near 
Edinburgh.  He  had  got  into  some  dilemma  with 
the  Excise  ;  the  mill  was  stopped  ;  and  a  security  for 
some  ;^8oo  had  to  be  paid.  One  of  the  first  things 
to  be  done,  after  the  death  of  my  father,  was  to  raise 
the  third  of  this  money,  and  pay  it  to  the  lawyer  at 
Edinburgh.  Part  of  the  sum  was  borrowed,  and  I 
went  in  to  pay  the  money.  It  proved  a  total  loss, 
and  it  was  felt  to  be  very  distressing  at  such  a 
time. 

After  remaining  at  home  for  some  time,  I  professed 
my  willingness  to  abandon  my  profession.  But  my 
mother  would  not  hear  of  it.  "No,  no,"  she  said, 
*'you  must  go  back  to  Edinburgh,  and  do  as  your 
father  desired :  God  will  provide."  She  had  the 
most  perfect  faith  in  Providence,  and  believed  that  if 
she  did  her  duty  she  would  be  supported  to  the  end. 
She  had  wonderful  pluck,  and  abundant  common- 
sense.  Her  character  seemed  to  develop  with  the 
calls  made  upon  her.  Difficulties  only  brought  out 
the  essence  of  her  nature.  I  could  not  fail  to  be 
influenced  by  so  good  a  mother.  I  was  inspired  by 
her,  and  obeyed  her. 

I  went  back  to  Edinburgh  accordingly,  finished 
my  third  winter  session  at  the  University ;  and  after 
remaining  during  the  summer  session,  studying 
Clinical  Surgery  under  Mr  Syme,  Midwifery  under 
Dr  Mackintosh,  and  Practical  Anatomy  under  Mr 


1832]  I   OBTAIN   MY   DIPLOMA  46 

Alexander  Lizars,  I  submitted  myself  for  examination. 
It  was  common,  in  those  days,  to  have  a  **  grinder," 
or  coach.  But  I  dispensed  with  that  expensive  pre- 
liminary, and  met  daily  a  student  of  about  my  own 
age,  Henry  Smith — afterwards  a  thriving-  chemical 
manufacturer ;  and  with  him  I  went  carefully  through 
all  the  necessary  coaching. 

We  went  together  to  be  examined.  After  waiting 
in  the  ante-rooms  of  the  New  College  of  Surgeons, 
first  one  and  then  another  candidate  came  out — 
rejected!  One  was  much  older  than  myself.  I 
thought  that  if  he  had  not  been  able  to  pass,  there 
was  little  chance  for  me.  Then  Henry  Smith  was 
called  in.  After  what  I  thought  a  very  long  time  of 
"heckling" — so  long  that  I  feared  he  would  never 
come  out — he  made  his  appearance  with  a  beaming 
face.  "I  have  passed,"  he  said.  ''Is  it  difficult?" 
"No,  not  at  all.  I  know  what  you  can  do.  You  will 
find  it  easy ! "  Accordingly,  when  I  was  next  called 
in,  I  went  with  good  heart. 

Although  the  examinations  were  in  those  days 
conducted  viva  voce,  and  without  any  written 
papers,  the  examiners  soon  got  at  the  gist  of  the 
students'  knowledge.  First  one,  and  then  another, 
took  me  in  hand,  and  after  examining  me  in  special 
topics,  came  to  a  rapid  conclusion.  There  was  Dr 
Huie,  a  difficult  examiner,  Dr  Simson,  Dr  Begbie, 
Dr  Maclagan,  and  others.  First,  there  was  a  para- 
graph of  Gregory's  Conspectus  in  Latin  to  be 
construed,  or  a  passage  of  Celsus.  Then  Materia 
Medica,  when  the  method  of  preparing  Antimonial 
Powder  and  Calomel  had  to  be  explained.  Then 
anatomy,  when  the  arteries,  nerves,  and  muscles  at 
the  base  of  the  scull,  had  to  be  described.  I  knew 
this  well,  for  I  was  well  grounded  in  anatomy.     Then 


46    REFORM- LAUDER  RAID—CHOLERA 

surgery,  with  a  description  of  reducing-  a  hernia  and 
performing  amputation  of  a  leg.  And  so  on  with  the 
details  of  the  practice  of  surgery  and  medicine.  By 
taking  the  candidate  on  such  subjects  unawares,  and 
ascertaining  exactly  what  he  knew  about  them,  the 
examiners  were  enabled  to  come  to  a  conclusion  as 
to  the  other  subjects  on  which  he  had  not  been 
examined.  After  about  an  hour  of  such  inquiries, 
a  large  mass  of  facts  had  been  ascertained  as  to 
the  competency  and  the  knowledge  of  the  student. 
I  got  through  without  difficulty ;  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  receiving  my  diploma,  dated  the  6th  of  November, 
1832 — six  years  exactly,  after  the  date  of  the  inden- 
ture of  my  apprenticeship. 


CHAPTER  V 

SURGEON   IN   HADDINGTON 

*' What  are  we  to  do  with  our  boys?"  is  a  difficult 
question  to  answer.  One  thing  which  my  parents 
did  for  me,  was  to  give  me  a  good  education.  It 
was  better  than  if  they  had  given  me  a  fortune.  But 
what  use  was  I  to  make  of  it?  There  was  I,  a 
passed  surgeon,  before  I  had  completed  my  twentieth 
year.  I  was  too  young  to  start  business  for  myself 
If  I  did,  who  would  have  employed  me?  I  looked 
even  younger  than  I  was. 

Unfortunately,  at  that  time,  the  number  of 
surgeons  was  greatly  in  excess  of  the  public  demand. 
Europe  was  at  peace.  The  army,  instead  of  absorb- 
ing surgeons,  discharged  them ;  and  in  Haddington, 
as  elsewhere,  there  were  experienced  army  surgeons 
on  half  pay,  competing  with  the  local  practitioners. 
The  navy  was  also  on  a  reduced  scale ;  and  with 
the  demand  for  reform,  it  was  likely  that  it  would 
be  still  further  reduced.  There  were  to  be  no  more 
wars.  Some  surgeons  went  to  India,  but  I  could 
not  find  my  way  thither,  for  I  had  no  influence. 
Besides,  as  I  was  the  son  whom  my  mother  most 
relied  on  for  assistance,  and  as  she  wished  me  to 
remain  at  home  for  some  years,  I  finally  consented. 

I  did  go  to  Galashiels  in  1833  to  visit  my  relations 

47 


48  SURGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

there,  and  to  look  about  me  for  an  opening-.  There 
I  found  an  old  college  friend  who  had  just  commenced 
business.  He  said,  '*  If  you  come,  I  will  go!"  As 
he  had  first  obtained  possession  of  the  ground,  I 
retired  and  returned  homeward.  I  came  back  by 
way  of  Abbotsford,  which  I  visited  for  the  first 
time.  It  was  the  year  after  Sir  Walter's  death, 
and  the  place  looked  very  sad  and  silent.  I  also 
went  to  see  my  relatives,  the  Yellowlees,  at  Cowden 
Knowes  Farm,  and  was  hospitably  entertained  by 
them,  then  home  by  Lauder,  the  scene  of  the  raid 
a  few  years  before. 

But  I  could  not  be  idle.  I  was  requested  by 
Provost  Brown  (the  first  provost  under  the  Muni- 
cipal Reform  Act),  and  by  Mr  Davie,  the  Secretary 
to  the  School  of  Arts,  to  deliver  a  course  of  Lectures 
on  Chemistry  to  the  members.  This  was  a  pleasant 
occupation.  It  took  up  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  summer ;  and  I  wrote  out  twelve  lectures — 
the  long-est  spell  of  writing  I  had  ever  undertaken. 
I  had  the  use  of  the  excellent  apparatus  belonging 
to  the  institution  ;  and  whether  I  improved  my  hearers 
or  not,  I  know  that  I  greatly  improved  myself  in  my 
practical  knowledge  of  Chemistry,  Heat,  Electricity, 
and  Galvanism.  My  former  teacher,  Mr  Johnstone, 
g-ave  a  course  of  lectures,  on  alternate  evenings, 
on  Mathematical  and  Physical  Geography ;  and  Mr 
Archibald  gave  another  course  on  Mineralogy  and 
Geology.  These  lectures  were  delivered  in  the  Parish 
School.  It  was  used  for  the  education  of  children 
during  the  daytime,  and  for  the  education  of  adults 
in  the  evening — a  very  proper  manner  of  using  public 
buildings  for  the  benefit  of  all  classes.  The  lectures 
were  exceedingly  well  attended. 

Eventually,  I  determined  to  settle  at  Haddington, 


or 

1833]  HADDINGTON  DOCTORS  49 

and  practise  medicine  there — at  least  for  a  time.  I 
scarcely  expected  much  success,  for  the  population 
of  the  town  and  neighbourhood  was  small  and 
stationary,  and  I  was  the  youngest  of  eight  prac- 
titioners. There  were  the  two  Dr  Howdens,  father 
and  son,  who  had  an  old  established  business ;  Drs 
Lorimer  and  Cruickshank,  with  the  former  of  whom 
I  had  served ;  Dr  Black,  a  retired  army  surgeon ; 
Dr  Burton ;  Mr  Anderson,  surgeon ;  and  lastly 
myself,  the  youngest  of  them  all.  Still,  I  got  some 
remnants  of  practice,  mostly  among  the  poorer 
people. 

The  life  of  a  country  doctor,  though  varied, 
becomes  monotonous.  Dr  John  Brown  has  given 
a  good  account  of  the  profession  in  his  essay,  "Our 
Gideon  Grays."  He  introduces  it  with  the  motto, 
taken  from  Mungo  Park,  who  was  originally  a  country 
doctor :  *'  I  would  rather  go  back  to  Africa  than 
practise  again  at  Peebles."  The  doctor  has  to  be 
at  everybody's  bidding,  and  must  ride  out  to  the 
country,  wet  or  dry,  far  or  near,  whether  paid  or 
not.  In  my  case,  much  of  my  work  was  done 
gratuitously — as  is  the  case  with  every  young 
country  doctor.  Still,  I  met  with  a  great  deal 
of  kindness,  among  the  farm-servants  as  well  as 
among  the  farmers.  The  latter  were  always  will- 
ing to  give  me  entertainment  while  attending 
their  people,  as  well  as  a  glass  of  whisky  toddy. 
This  is  one  of  the  perils  of  the  profession ;  and  one 
which  I  often  found  it  necessary  to  shirk.  There 
was  much  to  admire  in  the  poorer  class  of  people 
among  whom  my  lot  was  cast.  As  a  lady  who  had 
travelled  much  said  to  me,  **The  East  Lothian 
peasantry  are  not  picturesque,  like  those  we  meet 
abroad."      No !     but     they    are    wonderfully     well 

D 


50         SURGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

educated  at  their  parish  school ;  and  they  have  a 
great  deal  of  shrewd  common-sense  —  a  sort  of 
mother  wit,  which  goes  further  than  any  amount  of 
picturesqueness.  The  Lowlander  is  hardy,  econo- 
mical, and  industrious  —  rather  reticent  of  speech, 
but  opinionated  and  argumentative — somewhat  un- 
compromising- and  self-assertive. 

I  knew  some  of  these  men  who  were  full  of 
sagacity,  the  result  of  treasured  experience — though 
their  income  was  not  more  than  ten  shillings  a  week. 
Out  of  their  little  earnings,  they  would  send  their 
children  to  school.  But  how  little  remained  for  the 
doctor  who  attended  them  in  their  trials  and  troubles  ? 
One  thing  they  were  rich  in,  and  that  was  Content- 
ment. They  were  fairly  satisfied  with  what  they 
had,  and  tried  to  make  the  best  of  it.  The  rich 
man  is  he  who  is  contented  with  what  he  has  :  for 
all  men,  as  every  wise  person  knows,  cannot  have 
a  front  seat  in  the  social  circle.  Fortunately,  good- 
ness does  not  belong  to  any  special  class,  and  I 
have  found  some  of  the  best  men,  and  the  best- 
mannered  men,  among  those  whom  we  call  the  poor. 
Manner  is,  after  all,  the  expression  of  the  nature 
of  the  man ;  and  doing  to  others  as  you  would 
be  done  by,  quiet  self-possession,  tact,  and  courtesy, 
the  essentials  of  a  gentleman,  are  to  be  found 
amongst  all  classes,  even  in  the  most  secluded 
districts.  An  old  saint  said,  ''One  little  turn  of 
the  eye  sets  a  man  either  in  the  sun  or  in  the 
shadow  of  his  own  body." 

Though  the  poor  man  may  know  that  he  cannot 
be  a  hero,  yet  he  can  always  be  a  man — and  the  Man 
is  the  true  thing  after  all.  It  is  not  the  quality  of  the 
coat,  but  the  heart  that  beats  under  it.  He  is  the 
true  gentleman  who  possesses  and  displays  the  refined 


1833]  NATURE'S   GENTLEMEN  61 

qualities  of  human  nature ;  and  such  men  I  have 
found  everywhere.  I  have  seen  them  in  sorrow  and 
suffering- — when  the  house  was  dark  with  the  shadow 
of  death ;  and  yet  never  found  them  wanting-  in 
thankfulness  and  g-ratitude  for  the  mercies  that  were 
vouchsafed  to  them.  Here,  for  instance,  is  the 
record  of  the  life  of  an  old  gentleman — the  like  of 
whom  I  have  often  known  during-  my  brief  pilgrimage 
on  earth.  And  yet  he  was  only  a  shepherd,  working 
through  life  for  a  wage  of  not  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  shillings  a  week. 

The  local  journal  said  of  him  : — 

''A  feeling  of  tender  regret  and  old  remembrance 
will  be  awakened  in  many  minds  by  the  announcement 
in  our  obituary  list  to-day  of  the  death  of  Mr  John 
Wood,  shepherd,  Long  Yester,  who,  after  no  special 
illness  or  suffering,^  but  the  exhaustion  of  extreme  old 
age,  expired  on  Friday  last.  He  was  the  oldest  sur- 
vivor of  a  race  of  worthy  men  in  their  day  and  call- 
ing ;  an  experienced,  skilful,  and  faithful  shepherd, 
who,  though  disabled  for  many  years  for  active  work, 
took  an  anxious  interest  to  the  last  in  his  sheep ;  a 
man  of  honest  principle  and  sterling  worth,  he  could 
not  speak  or  act  an  untruth.  Exemplary  in  all  the 
duties  and  relations  of  life,  he  lived  and  worked  as 
ever  in  the  great  Taskmaster's  eye,  and  thus,  after 
'  life's  long  day,'  near  the  place  where  he  was  born,  and 
where,  eighty  years  ago,  he  first  tended  the  flocks,  with 
life's  taper  burning  slowly  to  its  close,  the  fine  old 
man  has  passed  away.  Of  him  it  may  be  truly  said 
in  the  words  of  the  sage — 

" '  His  virtues  walked  their  narrow  round, 
Nor  made  a  pause,  nor  left  a  void, 
And  sure  the  Eternal  Master  found 
His  single  talent  well  employed.' " '''■ 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  go  into  all  the  details 
of  my  life  while  practising  as  a  country  surgeon. 

*  This  record,  "In  Memoriam"  is  taken  from  the  Haddingtonshire 
Courier  of  2nd  January  1882. 


62  SUEGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

My  employment  was  very  fitful.  Sometimes  I  was 
out  of  bed  for  two  or  three  nig-hts  together ;  at  other 
times  I  had  little  to  do.  How  to  employ  my  spare 
time?  I  set  to  work  at  my  French;  bought  French 
books,  and  read  and  studied  them.  The  works  of 
Aime-Martin  were  amongst  my  favourites,  as  well  as 
those  of  Degerando.  The  former  gave  me  new  views 
about  woman's  power  in  the  world,  which  I  after- 
wards turned  to  good  account.  I  had  many  amuse- 
ments too.  I  studied  music,  practised  violin-playing, 
and  got  up  a  quartette  party.  We  even  went  the 
length  of  giving  charitable  concerts.  I  also  revived 
my  old  study  of  drawing,  and  began  painting  in  oil  and 
water  colours.  I  proceeded  to  prepare  a  course  of 
lectures  on  Physiology  and  the  Conditions  of  Health, 
and  illustrated  them  with  paintings,  like  my  old 
instructor,  Dr  Fletcher  of  Edinburgh.  The  prepara- 
tion of  these  not  only  filled  up  my  time,  but  gave  me 
much  pleasure.  I  gave  about  fifteen  lectures  in  the 
Sheriff's  Court-room,  and   they  were  well  attended. 

I  had  many  good  friends.  One  of  the  most 
attached  was  Tom  Todrick,*  a  most  genial,  honest, 
sensible  fellow.  We  were  boys,  and  became  men 
together.  We  took  the  London  Examiner  in  its  best 
days,  while  Albany  Fonblanque  was  the  editor ;  as 
well  as  the  Monthly  Repository,  with  Fox,  Sarah 
Flower  Adams,  Dr  Southwood  Smith,  and  Mrs 
Leman  Grimstone,  as  principal  contributors.  I 
devoured  poetry,  especially  Shelley  and  Keats.  I 
afterwards  rose  to  Coleridge  and  Wordsworth,  for 
each  age  has  its  special  poetical  attractions.  The 
highest  of  all  is,  I  think,  Shakespeare.  From  this,  it 
will  be  seen  that  I  made  good  use  of  my  time. 

Another  friend  was  Samuel   Brown.     He  was  a 

*  Afterwards  Banker,  in  succession  to  his  father. 


1833]  SAMUEL  BROWN  53 

most  able,  though  vehement  and  impulsive,  young 
fellow,  a  splendid  talker,  and  afterwards  an  impres- 
sive lecturer.  Great  things  were  expected  of  him; 
but  somehow  he  missed  his  way.  While  study- 
ing chemistry,  in  which  he  was  proficient,  he  fell 
upon  some  new  views  of  atoms  and  the  constituent 
elements  of  bodies,  to  the  development  of  which  he 
gave  his  life.  As  he  himself  said  in  one  of  his 
subsequent  writings  : — 

"It  is  the  first  step  that  is  the  heroic  step.  It 
has  to  be  taken  in  the  dark,  it  has  to  be  taken  alone  ; 
it  can  be  taken  only  by  a  man  who  is  capable  of  tak- 
ing all  the  past  along  with  him,  and  it  cannot  be 
taken  by  him  on  whom  the  bounded  present  has 
already  crystallised,  changing  him  into  a  pillar  of 
salt." 

This  will  give  an  idea  of  the  fibre  of  the  man. 
While  he  was  still  a  student  at  Edinburgh,  he  wrote 
to  me  as  follows  : — 

''Your  views  regarding  theorising  accord  with 
mine.  [I  forget  what  my  views  were,  but  probably 
they  meant  that  theorising,  as  is  implied  by  the  word, 
meant  to  see  clearly.]  I  verily  believe,  and  am  prepared 
to  prove  that,  notwithstanding  the  sound  and  fury  that 
is  eternally  raised  in  our  ears  by  modern  writers 
regarding  the  inductive  philosophy,  very  few  of  the 
great  discoveries  since  Bacon's  time  have  been  made 
by  analysis.  Many  who  make  such  a  fracas  about 
the  connection  of  cause  and  effect,  and  the  Novmn 
Org'anMm  in  these  fruitless  and  laboured  prefaces,  are 
knaves  who  would,  though  asses,  dress  themselves  in 
the  lion's  hide,  and  palm  off  their  bastard  products  as 
legitimate.  Others,  again,  after  they  have  discovered 
by  synthesis,  go  on  (half  unconsciously)  to  erect  a 
fabric  from  foundation  upwards,  just  as  the  architect, 
after  seeing  in  the  perspective  of  his  brain  the  beauty 
and  grandeur  of  a  fancied  edifice,  commences  and  pur- 
sues its  construction.     The  common,  and  I  believe 


54  SURGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

the  most  successful,  way  of  philosophising-  proceeds  in 
this  manner.  A  man  endowed  with  genius  surveys 
a  pile  of  facts  which  has  been  collected  partly  by 
former  theorisers  in  order  to  stablish  their  vantage 
ground,  and  partly  by  the  myriads  of  idiots  who 
crowd  the  highways  of  science.  He  conceives  (or 
perceives,  if  you  will)  a  bond  of  union  whereby  they 
may  be  all  linked  together  in  a  glorious  series  of 
relations.  He  generalises  ;  he  in  fact  forms  a  theory  ; 
he  applies  the  touchstone  of  truth  ;  it  bears  the  touch 
in  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been  applied ;  it  is 
accepted ;  and  what  if  it  go  the  way  of  all  living ; 
what  if  it  crumble  into  nullity  like  its  predecessors  1 
Has  he  not  added  to  the  number  of  known  facts,  as 
former  theorisers  had  done,  and  pointed  out  mines 
(perhaps  of  gold)  for  the  unmotived  to  work  1  I  s 
not  all  human  knowledge  valuable  only  for  its  facts  ? 
Is  not  the  cause  of  humanity  thus  eminently  served 
by  this  disposition  to  speculate  ?  Did  Davy  not  con- 
ceive that  the  alkalis  and  earths  are  metallic  oxides, 
and  then  prove  it  ?  Did  not  QErsted  perceive  that 
electricity  and  magnetism  were  identical,  and  then 
prove  it  ?  Did  Newton  not  conceive  the  identity  of 
terrestrial  attraction  and  the  celestial  forces,  and  then 
throw  around  this  conception  the  gorgeous  illumina- 
tion of  mathematical  evidence  ? 

''The  theories  of  a  day  are  the  expression  of 
what  is  hiown  in  that  day,  and  are  the  moving 
springs  of  that  knowledge's  progression.  Theories, 
like  empires,  pass  away,  and  are  no  more  known  upon 
the  earth.  That  of  yesterday  is  mocked,  and  to-day's 
may  share  its  fate  to-morrow!  And  must  we  ever 
grope  on  in  miserable  doubt  ?  Shall  we  never  arrive 
at  ultimate  principles  as  well  as  ultimate  facts  ?  Shall 
no  granite  be  found  which  shall  stand  the  wear  of 
time?  Have  we  no  test  whereby  we  may  ascertain 
when  we  have  clasped  the  golden  things  we  looked 
for,  when  we  may  revel  in  intellectual  luxury  in  the 
bosom  of  eternal  truth,  without  the  dread  of  some 
monster  with  his  more  facts  saying,  '  What  do  ye  ? ' 
Aye !  there  is  one,  there  is  one :  Mathematical 
demonstration,  and  that  alone.  What  is  proved  by 
mathematics  must  be.  No  science  shall,  can  ever,  be 
perfect  till  reduced  to  the  absolute  logic  of  mathe- 
matics.    Astronomy,   statics,   hydraulics,   acoustics, 


1833]  SAMUEL  BROWN  55 

and  so  on,  are  perfect,  because  they  are  mathematised. 
For  Instance,  we  shall  never  be  certain  that  we  have 
g-alned  a  last  and  infallible  generalisation  of  the 
wondrous  alchemy  of  our  world  and  its  grandeur, 
till  we  can  reason  mathematically  on  chemical 
questions.  Is  there  any  hope  that  we  shall  ever  be 
able  to  do  so  ?  Yes !  you  and  I  will  yet  see  that 
jubilee  day  of  corpuscular  science!  It  shall  be 
proved  that  all  the  varieties  of  matter  issue  from  one 
elementary  atom — that  the  fifty-five  elements  at 
present  recognised  are  all  isomeric  compounds  of  this 
one  with  itself,  increasing  in  an  arithmetical  pro- 
gression ;  that  the  affinities  of  each  are  in  the  ratio  of 

their  bulk,  which  shall  then  be  known  ;  that shall 

I  go  on?  No!  It  would  hurt  you,  and  it  would 
hurt  myself  If  this  consummation,  so  much  to  be 
desired,  were  brought  about,  how  many  thousand 
thousand  grandeurs  would  it  expose  in  every  branch 
of  human  knowledge!  How  it  would  bear  on  the 
great  metaphysical  questions !  .  .  .  I^  believe  firmly 
that  no  great  extension  of  metaphysical  physiology 
can  take  place  until  corpuscular  science  is  perfected." 

I  have  given  this  lengthy  extract  from  Samuel 
Brown's  letter,  as  it  explains  the  dream  of  his  life,  on 
which  his  fortunes  were  wrecked.  But  I  may  be 
wrong.  His  dream  may  yet  be  realised ;  for  we  do 
not  know  what  science  may  have  in  store  for  us.  At 
all  events,  if  he  was  right,  he  was  long  before  his 
time.  It  is  curious  that  the  estimable  Professor 
Robison  of  Edinburgh — a  man  of  profound  know- 
ledge in  physical  science — entertained  a  belief  in  the 
possible  transmutation  of  bodies.  ''The  analysis  of 
the  alkalis  and  alkaline  earths,"  he  said,  ''by  Guy  ton, 
Henry,  and  others,  will  presently  lead,  I  think,  to  the 
doctrine  of  a  reciprocal  convertibility  of  all  things 
into  all." 

Samuel  Brown  afterwards  endeavoured  to  explain 
the  doctrine  to  me  in  his  chemical  laboratory  at 
Haddington,  when  he  had  the  use  of  the  apparatus 


56         SURGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

of  the  School  of  Arts,  with  which  I  was  so  familiar  ; 
but  I  could  never  see  my  way  into  the  gist  or  facts  of 
his  theory.  He  had  a  method  of  converting-  starch 
into  iodine,  by  which  he  said  the  quantity  of  iodine 
might  be  continually  increased ;  and  this  was  a 
matter  to  be  determined  by  weighing  the  final  result. 
But  I  never  had  the  proofs  put  before  me.  Shortly 
after,  full  of  his  supposed  discovery,  he  brought  the 
subject  under  the  notice  of  Faraday,  one  of  the  first 
men  of  the  day.  But  Faraday  never  put  out  his  hand 
further  than  he  could  draw  it  back.  Though  far- 
reaching  and  imaginative,  he  was  yet  humble  in  his 
speculation.  He  might  have  overlooked  or  neglected 
the  young  inquirer ;  but  he  kindly  answered  him  as 
follows  : — 

**  I^  have  no  hesitation  in  advising  you  to  experi- 
ment in  support  of  your  views,  because,  whether  you 
confirm  or  confute  them,  good  must  come  out  of  your 
experiments.  With  regard  to  the  views  themselves, 
I  can  say  nothing  of  thern  except  that  they  are  useful 
in  exciting  the  mind  to  inquiry.  ^  A  very  brief  con- 
sideration of  the  jprogress  of  experimental  philosophy 
will  show  you  that  it  is  a  great  disturber  of  pre- 
conceived theories.  I  have  thought  long  and  closely 
on  the  theories  of  attraction  and^  of  particles  and 
atoms  of  matter,  and  the  more  I  think,  in  association 
with  experiments,  the  less  distinct  does  my  idea  of  an 
atom  or  particle  of  matter  become." 

Nothing  further  could  be  got  out  of  Faraday. 
But  Samuel  Brown  still  adhered  to  his  opinions. 
He  gave  a  brilliant  course  of  lectures  on  the  Philo- 
sophy of  the  Sciences,  in  conjunction  with  Edward 
Forbes,  before  the  Philosophical  Institution  of  Edin- 
burgh. He  made  many  friends,  for  everybody 
admired  him.  The  Professorship  of  Chemistry  in 
the  University  became  vacant,  and  the  young  lecturer 


1833]  SAMUEL  BEOWN  57 

appeared  as  a  candidate.  There  is  little  doubt  that  he 
would  have  been  elected,  for  his  religfio-political  sup- 
porters were  in  a  majority  at  the  council.  But  he  was 
twitted  with  his  absurd  and  unscientific  views  (for  so 
they  were  thought)  about  atoms  and  the  convertibility 
of  matter.  He  was  very  honest,  and  took  his  stand 
upon  his  views.  He  burnt  his  boats,  blew  up  his 
bridges,  and  cut  off  his  retreat.  He  would  bring- 
them  under  the  notice  of  Liebigf,  admitted  to  be  one 
of  the  greatest  chemists  of  the  day.  He  went  to 
Giessen  accordingly,  and  saw  Liebig ;  but  nothing 
was  ever  heard  of  the  interview.  It  was  unsatis- 
factory— unconfirmatory.  The  election  at  length 
took  place  at  Edinburgh  ;  and,  as  Samuel  Brown  had 
retired,  another  professor  was  appointed. 

He  was  still  determined  to  wrest  from  Nature  her 
secret.  I  was  afterwards  informed  by  a  young 
chemist  who  had  joined  him,  that  the  two  took  rooms 
together  at  Blackheath,  near  London,  and  there 
entered  upon  a  series  of  elaborate  investigations.  In 
order  that  they  might  confine  themselves  sedulously 
and  exclusively  to  their  work,  the  two  agreed  to  shave 
off  half  the  hair  from  their  heads,  and  thus  taboo 
themselves,  as  it  were,  from  the  charms  of  society. 
But  Nature  could  not  thus  be  conquered. 

The  next  thing  I  saw  of  Brown's,  was  a  remark- 
ably clever  essay  on  the  Smallness  of  Doses  in 
Homoeopathic  Medicine.  He  seems  to  have  been 
attracted  by  the  new  treatment.  After  this,  he  wrote 
many  vigorous  articles  for  the  North  British  Review  ; 
but  he  left  for  a  time,  or  at  least  he  did  not  pursue, 
his  old  walk  of  science.  His  cousin,  Dr  John  Brown 
(of  Rab  and  his  Friends),  says  of  him  : — 

"His  wings  were  too  much  for  him.  He  was  for 
ever  climbing  the   Mount    Sinais    and    Pisgahs    of 


58  SURGEON  IN  HADDINGTON 

Science,  to  speak  with  Him  whose  haunt  they  were — 
climbing  there  all  alone  and  in  the  dark,  and  with 
much  peril,  if  haply  he  might  descry  the  break  of  day 
and  the  promised  land.  ...  His  fate  has  been  a 
mournful  and  a  strange  one ;  but  he  knew  it,  and 
encountered  it  with  a  full  knowledge  of  what  it 
entailed." 

During  the  later  years  of  Samuel  Brown's  life,  he 
was  seized  with  a  fatal  disease  from  which  there  was 
little  hope  of  recovery.  He  went  to  Derbyshire 
(where  he  tried  mesmerism),  then  to  London,  and 
finally  returned  to  Edinburgh.  The  last  letter  I  had 
from  him  was  towards  the  end  of  his  life.  I  had 
written  an  article  about  his  father,  the  founder  of 
Itinerating  Libraries,  in  a  London  Journal,  and  he 
desired  to  have  a  copy  of  it.  He  said  he  was  ill, 
fatally  ill,  but  he  desired  to  do  a  little  duty  to  his 
father  before  he  died.  The  Memoir  afterwards 
appeared.  Poor  Brown  died  in  his  thirty-ninth  year. 
He  was  most  lovable — as  a  boy  and  as  a  man.  He 
was  perhaps  too  bright  for  daily  use.  He  was 
fascinatingly  brilliant — impulsive  in  his  speculations 
— and,  as  many  thought,  a  great  deal  too  rapid  in  his 
conclusions.  And  yet  his  cousin,  Dr  John  Brown, 
said  of  him  and  his  theories  : — 

''  Some  of  us  may  live  to  see  '  Restt7^£:am '  inscribed 
over  Samuel  Brown's  untimely  grave,  and  applied 
with  gratitude  and  honour  to  him  whose  eyes  closed 
in  darkness  on  the  one  great  object  of  his  life,  and  the 
hopes  of  whose  'unaccomplished  years'  lie  buried 
with  him." 

Note. — Though  he  "  could  not  see  his  way  into  "  these  speculations 
of  Samuel  Brown,  the  modern  theory  of  electrons  and  the  recently 
discovered  phenomena  of  radio  activity,  which  they  vaguely  anticipate, 
seem  to  justify  Dr  Smiles'  recognition  of  genius  in  the  striking  person- 
ality of  his  friend. — Ed. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   ROLLING   STONE  GATHERS   NO  MOSS 

One  of  my  Intimate  friends  in  Haddington  was 
Georg-e  Scoular — a  man  of  whom  a  great  deal  might 
have  been  made.  Though  constitutionally  delicate, 
he  had  a  vigorous  mind,  which  teemed  with  imagina- 
tion. Like  everybody  else  in  those  days,  he  was  a 
great  politician,  and  took  an  Immense  interest  In  the 
reform  cause.  He  first  came  to  light  at  a  public 
meeting  held  to  petition  Parliament  in  aid  of  Muni- 
cipal Reform.  To  the  surprise  of  his  friends,  who 
before  had  seen  nothing  In  that  pale,  delicate  man, 
with  his  face  overshadowed  by  his  massive  forehead, 
he  made  a  powerful  speech.  He  carried  the  meeting 
with  him,  and  the  petition  was  enthusiastically 
adopted.  He  spoke  again  and  again,  always  Improv- 
ing. But  his  constitution  was  too  weak  for  mental 
work.  He  was  taken  ill  of  a  form  of  mesenteric 
disease,  and  sent  for  me.  For  change  of  air,  I  sent 
him,  with  his  sister,  to  Portobello,  near  Edinburgh  ; 
and  there  I  had  my  old  teacher,  Dr  Mackintosh, 
called  in  as  consulting  physician.  The  doctor  did 
what  he  could,  but  the  case  was  hopeless ;  and 
shortly  after  George  Scoular  returned  to  Haddington, 
became  worse,  and  died  quite  peacefully. 

During  my   interview   with    Dr    Mackintosh  at 

59 


60  EOLLING  STONE  GATHERS  NO  MOSS 

Portobello,  he  asked  me  how  I  was  getting  on  at 
Haddington. 

''  I  am  not  getting  on,"  I  said,  ''  I  am  going  off." 

"How  is  that?" 

"Too  many  doctors,"  I  answered;  "more  than 
enough  to  doctor  double  the  population." 

"Well,"  he  rejoined,  "remember  that  a  rolling 
stone  gathers  no  moss." 

"Very  true,"  I  said;  "but  while  I  have  been 
settled  there,  I  have  gathered  none  whatever :  I 
think  I  had  better  begin  to  roll.'' 

"Well,  of  course,  you  are  the  best  judge." 

And  so  we  parted. 

Another  of  my  friends  was  Dr  Carstairs  of  North 
Berwick,  about  nine  miles  off.  He  was  of  about 
my  own  age,  and  was,  like  myself,  struggling  for  a 
practice.  He  was  settled  on  the  coast,  having  the 
sea  on  one  side  and  the  land  on  the  other ;  so  that 
he  had  less  country  to  travel  over.  While  laid  up,  on 
one  occasion,  by  an  inflamed  throat,  he  asked  me  if  I 
could  come  down  and  assist  him  with  his  patients.  I 
did  so,  and  remained  a  few  days.  While  there,  I  was 
sent  for  to  attend  a  remarkable  character  named  Jock 
Whitecross.  He  was  a  fisherman  at  Canty  Bay,  a 
little  fishing  village  lying  almost  immediately  under 
the  ruins  of  the  ancient  castle  of  Tantallon.  Jock 
had  a  lease  of  the  Bass  Rock,  which  lay,  a  big  round 
rock  in  the  Firth  of  Forth,  screaming  with  solan 
geese  and  flights  of  sea-birds,  only  a  few  miles  off 

Not  long  before,  Jock  had  lost  his  son — a  finely- 
built  young  fellow — whose  boat  had  been  upset  in  a 
stormy  sea,  and  his  body  was  washed  ashore  on  the 
strand  almost  in  front  of  his  father's  door.  Jock,  on 
speaking  of  the  sad  event,  said  to  a  neighbour,  "  Eh, 
man,  the  Lord's  gien  me  a  sair  whup  the  day."    Jock 


1834-7]  COUNTRY  DOCTOR  61 

had  to  deliver  twelve  solan  geese  a  year  to  the 
minister  of  the  parish,  as  his  ''teinds."  But  the 
minister  of  the  parish  having-  complained  about  the 
deliveries  of  the  geese,  and  the  fishy  taste  of  the 
birds,  Jock  delivered  the  whole  of  them  one  day 
together ;  on  which  the  minister  was  worse  satisfied 
than  ever. 

*'  I  canna  make  them  into  butcher  meat,"  said 
Jock,  *'nor  can  I  be  fashed  to  deliver  them  as  ye  like, 
so  there  they  are,  helter  skelter." 

There  were  many  similar  stories  told  about  Jock  ; 
but  this  was  to  be  the  last  of  him.  I  found  him 
attacked  with  cholera  of  a  bad  sort.  He  was  dying 
when  I  entered  his  cottage,  and  when  I  left,  his  last 
breath  had  departed.  Such  are  the  scenes  that 
country  doctors  have  often  to  witness. 

Whether  it  was  because  of  my  frequent  visits  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  North  Berwick,  or  how  it  was 
I  know  not,  but  one  night  I  was  sent  for  to  attend  a 
case  at  Redhouse,  on  the  way  thither,  about  seven 
miles  from  Haddington.  After  attending  to  it — and 
it  was  altogether  a  gratuitous  case — I  was  riding 
homeward  on  my  old  mare.  It  was  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  having  been  up  for  two  nights 
previously,  I  was  very  sleepy.  While  going  down 
hill,  the  horse  put  its  foot  on  a  stone  and  tumbled 
down.  I  fell  over  its  head,  and  lit  upon  my  white  hat, 
which  was  crushed ;  but  it  saved  my  head.  I  got  up, 
thoroughly  awakened,  but  the  horse  was  off  I 
walked  after  it  for  some  four  miles,  where  I  found  the 
poor  creature,  with  its  broken  knees,  standing  at  a 
door  where  I  had  called  a  few  days  before.  I  parted 
with  the  horse,  and  did  not  buy  another.  "The 
game  was  not  worth  the  candle." 

Among  the  various  things  which  I  did  to  fill  up 


62  ROLLING  STONE  GATHERS  NO  MOSS 

my  abundant  time,  was  to  write  a  book !  That  was 
a  difficult  matter.  But  I  made  up  my  mind,  read  and 
studied  diligently,  and  prepared  the  sheets  for  the 
printer.  My  subject  was  Physical  Education — not  a 
bad  idea.  Dr  Combe's  work  on  The  Principles  of 
Physiology  applied  to  the  Prese7^ation  of  Health,  had 
been  found  of  great  use  ;  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  a 
work  devoted  more  particularly  to  instructions  as  to 
the  Nurture  and  Management  of  Children  might  be 
equally  useful.  It  was,  at  all  events,  beginning  at 
the  beginning,  with  the  education  of  the  human 
creature.  For  philosophy  has  been  in  the  wrong  in 
not  descending  more  deeply  into  physical  man,  for  it 
is  there  that  the  moral  man  lies  concealed.  I  took 
for  my  motto  the  following  passage  from  Paley : 
"The  health  and  virtue  of  a  child's  future  life  are 
considerations  so  superior  to  all  others,  that  whatever 
is  likely  to  have  the  smallest  influence  upon  these, 
deserves  the  parents'  first  attention."  I  accordingly 
treated  of  nursing,  air,  and  exercise  ;  and  endeavoured 
to  show  that  the  due  education  of  the  body  was  the 
basis  of  moral  and  intellectual  culture  ;  protesting,  at 
the  same  time,  against  cramming  the  youthful  mind 
with  unnecessary  knowledge. 

I  did  the  best  that  I  could  in  preparing  the  work. 
It  might  have  been  better  done.  Indeed,  it  was 
shortly  after  much  better  done  by  Dr  Andrew  Combe 
himself,  in  his  Treatise  on  the  Physiological  and  Moral 
Management  of  Infancy.  But  I  did  not  know,  at  the 
time  I  wrote  my  book,  that  that  excellent  man  was 
engaged  in  such  a  treatise.  When  finished,  I  took 
my  manuscript  to  the  Messrs  Chambers  of  Edin- 
burgh, who  were  engaged  at  that  time  in  bringing  out 
many  entertaining  and  useful  works.  I  saw  William 
Chambers,   and  he    told  me  that    he  expected   Dr 


1836]  MY  FIRST  BOOK  63 

Combe  would  prepare  for  their  house  a  similar  work. 
As  I  had  the  MS.  with  me,  I  went  to  Mr  Boyd  (of 
Oliver  &  Boyd),  whom  I  knew,  and  asked  him  to 
furnish  me  with  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  printing- 
and  publishing-  my  little  treatise.  The  result  was, 
that  it  was  shortly  after  in  the  hands  of  the  printer. 
But  before  it  appeared,  I  received  a  letter  from 
William  Chambers,  saying-  that  he  had  been  dis- 
appointed in  Dr  Combe — that  he  was  about  to 
publish  a  treatise  on  his  own  account,  and  asking  for 
the  perusal  of  my  manuscript.  It  was  too  late,  and 
my  book  came  out,  and  was  well  reviewed  in  the 
Athenceum,  Chambers  s  Journal,  and  other  periodicals. 
I  only  printed  750  copies.  The  book  sold  fairly 
well,  but  if  it  paid  its  expenses,  that  was  all.  During 
the  last  few  years,  the  advertisements  swallowed  up 
the  proceeds  of  the  sales.  At  last  there  remained 
about  100  copies  of  the  unbound  sheets.  These  I 
disposed  of  in  the  following  manner.  There  was  a 
Mr  Slater,  related  to  a  friend  of  mine,  who  had 
broug-ht  out  a  cheap  series  of  books  in  London, 
including-  Emerson's  Essays,  and  Frederica  Bremer's 
Tales — (the  last  very  much  to  the  disgust  of  William 
Howitt,  who  was  left  with  a  whole  room  full  of 
printed  and  unsold  volumes,  translated  by  Mary 
Howitt) — and  these  were  well  known  at  the  time 
as  "Slater's  Shilling  Series."  Though  the  books 
had  a  large  sale,  they  were  too  cheap,  and  eventually 
ruined  the  publisher.  Slater  gathered  his  traps 
together,  and  was  about  to  leave  for  Australia  to 
pursue  his  trade  as  a  bookseller.  He  asked  me  if 
I  could  give  him  a  lift.  I  made  him  a  present  of 
all  the  unsold  copies  of  my  book ;  and  I  hope  they 
proved  of  use  to  the  colonists  and  their  children.  I 
afterwards  found  that  the  emigrant  had  married  a 


64  ROLLING  STONE  GATHERS  NO  MOSS 

youngf  wife  and  settled  at  Geelong,  where,  with  her 
help,  he  brought  out  a  new  series  of  Slater. 

The  last  of  my  occupations  to  which  I  must  refer, 
as  it  had  some  influence  on  my  future  life,  was  the 
writing  of  leading  articles  for  an  Edinburgh  news- 
paper. Dr  Thomas  Murray,  a  Lecturer  on  Political 
Economy,  was  at  that  time  editor  of  the  Edinburg-k 
Weekly  Chronicle,  I  knew  the  doctor,  and  he  asked 
me  occasionally  to  send  him  paragraphs  of  intelli- 
gence. I  went  a  little  further,  and  sent  him  regular 
articles.  In  course  of  time,  he  promoted  these  to 
the  leading  columns;  and  I  wrote  with  the  ''we," 
as  if  I  were  the  editor.  I  became  a  regular,  and  as 
Dr  Murray  afterwards  said,  ''a  much-prized  con- 
tributor." Might  not  this  prove  an  opening  into 
the  press?  I  thought  so  at  the  time,  and  when  an 
advertisement  appeared  in  Tail's  Magazine  for  an 
editor  of  the  Leeds  Times  in  the  room  of  Robert 
Nicoll,  the  poet,  who  died  in  December  1837,  I 
applied  for  the  position. 

I  received  an  answer  from  the  proprietor,  request- 
ing me  to  send  a  specimen  of  my  powers,  and 
mentioning  as  the  subject,  an  article  on  the  Suffrage. 
I  wrote  one,  and  sent  it  by  return  of  post.  It  was 
approved,  but  I  was  informed  that,  on  further  con- 
sideration— as  the  Leeds  Times  was  strongly  opposed 
by  a  new  paper,  the  Northern  Star,  the  organ  of 
the  Chartists  or  extreme  Radicals — it  was  thought 
necessary  to  appoint  as  editor  a  gentleman  of  great 
newspaper  experience,  one  who  had  recently  been 
editor  of  the  True  Sun,  a  Mr  Charles  H 00 ton.  He 
was  certainly  a  most  accomplished  man,  an  able 
writer,  the  author  of  the  Adventures  of  Bilberry 
Thurland,  Colin  Clink,  and  other  clever  works  of 
fiction.     I  could  not  complain  of  this,  and  I  accord- 


1838]  I  LEAVE  HADDINGTON  65 

ing-ly  altog-ether  gave  up  the  prospect.     Something 
else  would,  without  doubt,  turn  up. 

In  the  meantime  I  arranged  for  the  collection  of 
my  accounts,  sold  off  my  stock  of  drugs,  and  pre- 
pared to  leave  Haddington.  I  did  so  in  May  1838. 
My  intention  was  to  proceed  to  Leyden  or  Heidel- 
berg, and  take  the  degree  of  M.D.  ;  and,  besides, 
to  learn  the  German  language  and  improve  my  know- 
ledge of  French.  With  that  view  I  took  leave  of  my 
old  town,  and  set  out  for  Hull  by  sea,  accompanied 
with  testimonials — from  the  Rev.  Mr  Hogg,  my 
revered  minister;  Mr  Graham,  my  old  teacher; 
Dr  Burton,  my  attached  friend ;  Provost  Lea,  my 
neighbour  and  fellow-violoncello  player,  and  many 
more  dear  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Dr  Burton  truly  said  that,  '*in  a  limited  and  not 
increasing  population,  under  the  professional  care  of 
old-established  practitioners,  the  opportunities  for  a 
young  medical  man,  however  talented,  to  display  his 
skill  and  attainments,  are  so  few  that  they  do  not 
merit  a  sacrifice  of  the  time  necessary  for  the  trial ; 
and  I  believe  you  have  done  wisely  in  the  step  you 
have  taken,  and  that  you  deserve  to  succeed,  and 
will  succeed,  wherever  you  settle."  I  may  add  that 
Dr  Carstairs  had  already  left  North  Berwick,  and 
had  settled  at  Sheffield,  where  he  was  doing  well ; 
that  Dr  Cruickshank  afterwards  left  Haddington 
to  practise  in  North  Berwick,  and  eventually  in 
Australia ;  and  that  Dr  Burton  himself  shortly  after 
left  for  Walsall,  and  entered  upon  a  large  practice — 
thereby  reducing  the  number  of  practitioners  in 
Haddington  to  something  like  the  proper  average 
number. 

I  may  add  that,  before  I  left  Haddington,  I  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Town  Council,  and  that, 

E 


66  ROLLING  STONE  GATHERS  NO  MOSS 

had  I  waited,  I  might  even  have  been  made  a  Bailie ! 
But  I  could  not  wait  any  longer.  I  wanted  to  make 
a  living- ;  and  for  that  purpose  it  was  necessary  for 
me  to  look  out  for  some  other  field  of  labour. 

I  left  Leith  for  Hull  by  steamer  about  the  middle 
of  May  1838.  As  we  passed  down  the  Firth  of 
Forth  by  the  Bass  Rock,  the  gulls  and  solan  geese 
were  screaming  more  loudly  than  usual,  and  wheel- 
ing in  wild  convulsions  round  the  cliffs.  A  storm 
was  evidently  brewing,  and  by  the  time  we  reached 
St  Abb's  Head  it  had  come  on  furiously.  It  was  a 
very  wild  night.  The  winds  blew,  the  rain  fell,  and 
the  storm  raged.  The  waves  swept  the  deck,  and  as 
I  was  unwilling  to  go  to  my  sleeping-berth,  I  went 
down  to  the  engine-room  behind  the  boilers  for 
warmth.  At  length,  I  found  it  necessary  to  go  to 
my  cabin — and  then  I  felt  very  ill — the  first  and  only 
time  I  have  ever  been  discomforted  when  at  sea. 

In  the  early  morning  I  went  on  deck.  The  waves 
were  still  surging  and  the  wind  blowing  furiously. 
I  noticed  the  captain  peering  through  the  mist  at 
some  object  behind  us.  What  was  he  looking  for  ? 
It  was  for  the  Pegasus,  the  rival  steamer.  He  feared 
that  she  had  gone  down  during  the  night,  for  she  was 
not  so  good  a  sea  boat  as  the  one  we  were  in.  But 
there  she  was  behind  us,  with  her  white  funnel  and 
red  hull,  far  away  in  the  distance.  Only  five  years 
after,  the  Pegasus  was  wrecked  on  the  Fern  Islands, 
and  lost  nearly  all  her  passengers. 

We  reached  Hull  in  safety,  and  after  resting  there 
for  a  few  days,  I  embarked  on  the  Sea  Horse  for 
Rotterdam,  which  was  reached  after  a  pleasant 
voyage  of  twenty-four  hours.  I  took  up  my  lodgings 
in  an  English  hotel  for  a  few  days.  After  admiring 
the  Boomjees — the  quay  which  extends  for  about  a 


1838]  VISIT  TO  HOLLAND  67 

mile  and  a  quarter  along  the  river  side — and  taking  a 
general  view  of  the  town,  its  public  buildings,  canals, 
and  bridges,  I  called  upon  the  Rev.  Mr  Stevens,  the 
Scotch  minister,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction. He  received  me  kindly  and  gave  me  much 
information  as  to  the  University  of  Leyden,  which 
decided  me,  although  I  had  a  letter  to  Professor 
Tiedemann  of  Heidelberg,  to  go  on  to  Leyden  to  take 
my  degree.  I  went  thither  by  the  Trekschuyt,  on 
canal  boat,  then  the  popular  mode  of  conveyance. 

We  travelled  to  Leyden  through  a  rich  flat 
district,  past  country  houses,  villages,  windmills, 
gardens,  green  pastures,  and  canals  spanned  by 
bridges  stretching  in  all  directions.  Then  came  the 
old  collegiate  city  with  its  tall  spires  standing  black 
against  the  setting  sun.  I  was  taken  by  a  fellow- 
passenger  to  a  logement  in  a  retired  part  of  the  town, 
where  I  remained  for  a  few  weeks.  The  family  con- 
sisted of  host  and  hostess,  two  sons,  and  three 
daughters.  They  kept  a  small  private  hotel.  In  which 
I  was  the  only  boarder.  The  father  and  two  of  the 
daughters  were  very  musical ;  and  I  greatly  enjoyed 
their  performances.  I  soon  felt  quite  at  home,  and 
got  to  know  a  great  deal  about  Dutch  manners  and 
customs. 

In  due  course  of  time  I  submitted  myself  to  an 
examination  by  Professor  Van  der  Hoeven,  Dean  of 
the  Faculty  of  Medicine,  and  other  gentlemen.  It 
was  by  no  means  so  thorough  as  the  one  at  Edin- 
burgh some  years  before.  Being  conducted  In  a  sort 
of  dog  Latin,  the  same  amount  of  information  could 
not  be  educed.  It  was,  however,  more  costly  than  I 
had  expected,  and  nearly  emptied  my  purse.  But  I 
had  still  enough  money  left  after  the  first  examination 
to  enable  me  to  make  my  proposed  walking  tour 


68  ROLLING  STONE  GATHERS  NO  MOSS 

through  Holland  and  up  the  Rhine.  Leaving  my 
luggage  behind  me,  I  shouldered  a  knapsack  contain- 
ing a  change  of  linen  and  some  books,  and  left 
Leyden  by  the  eastern  gate  on  the  morning  of  the 
15th  of  June. 

It  was  a  very  fine  day,  bright  and  sunny.  Of  all 
the  ways  of  seeing  a  country,  commend  me  to  the 
Walk.  A  staff  in  hand,  and  kit  on  back,  and  away 
along  the  high  road,  turning  into  the  byeways,  if  you 
like  ;  resting  occasionally  under  the  porch  of  a  village 
hostel ;  then  on  again,  hearing  the  bells  tolling  far 
away  across  the  plain  ;  watching  the  passing  changes 
of  the  clouds,  and  how  they  cast  their  purple  shadows 
on  the  foreground,  while  through  an  opening  in  the 
skies  a  stream  of  bright  sunshine  illumines  the  white 
sails  of  a  distant  windmill,  or  of  the  Dutch  boats  as 
they  work  their  way  among  the  farmsteads  and  cattle- 
fields.  This  is  the  true  way  to  see  and  enjoy  a  country. 
To  appreciate  thoroughly  the  fresh  and  healthy  and 
beautiful  in  Nature,  you  must  walk ;  and  those  only 
can  enjoy  the  pleasure  who  are  willing  to  give  to  the 
work  the  requisite  amount  of  physical  exercise.* 

*  I  may  mention  I  took  copious  notes  during  my  residence  abroad. 
I  afterwards  worked  them  up  into  a  series  of  articles  which  were 
published  in  a  London  Journal.  They  form  enough  to  make  a  book  ; 
but  they  are  not  worthy  of  republication. 


CHAPTER  VII 

RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND LONDON,   SHEFFIELD 

I  HAD  performed  my  little  tour.  I  had  enjoyed  my 
little  holiday.  It  was  all  very  pleasant.  I  had  made 
many  friends  while  I  was  abroad.  They  had  been 
very  kind  to  me.  I  had  learnt  something-  of  modern 
languages  :  and  a  good  deal  of  human  nature.  Now 
I  was  about  to  enter  on  the  active  business  of  life. 
I  desired  first  to  get  to  London,  in  order  to  make 
inquiries  about  the  new  world  on  the  other  side  of 
the  globe.  Hence  my  voyage  to  the  Thames, 
instead  of  to  the  H  umber. 

Our  steamer  reached  the  shores  of  England  on  a 
misty  morning  in  the  beginning  of  September  1838. 
I  was  awakened  early  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell  above- 
board — indicating  a  fog.  On  making  my  way  on 
deck,  I  found  we  were  enveloped  in  mist.  The 
snortings  of  the  steamer  ceased  for  a  time,  and  the 
sailors  heaved  the  lead  to  ascertain  the  depth  of  water 
beneath  us.  We  groped  our  way ;  ''go  on  slowly" 
was  shouted  by  the  captain,  then  ''stop  her."  And 
there  we  lay,  hearing  many  bells  about  us  from 
adjoining  ships,  which  told  us  that  we  were  approach- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  river. 

After  about  an  hour,  the  mist  slowly  cleared 
away.     It  rolled  past  us  in  banks  of  cloud  ;  and  then 

69 


70  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

we  saw  where  we  were.  The  low  shores  of  the 
English  coast  lay  on  either  side,  Essex  on  the  north, 
Kent  on  the  south.  ''That  Is  the  Nore  light!" 
We  were  now  In  the  mouth  of  the  Thames,  nearly- 
opposite  Sheerness.  We  could  see  the  great  hulls 
lying  In  the  mouth  of  the  Medway,  and  a  paddle- 
wheel  steamer,  the  Black  Haggle  (I  think),  one  of  the 
first  used  by  the  Government,  throwing  out  clouds  of 
black  smoke.  The  river  became  busier.  Steamers, 
wherries,  ships — their  sails  bellied  out  by  the  wind — 
came  down  the  Thames  In  numbers ;  some  were 
coasters,  some  were  foreign  bound,  some  were 
destined  for  the  furthest  ends  of  the  earth. 

We  passed  the  Hope,  and  the  old  fort  of  Tilbury 
on  one  side,  and  the  town  of  Gravesend  on  the  other. 
Here  many  vessels  were  lying  anchored  In  the 
stream,  awaiting  their  complements  of  seamen  or 
passengers.  Some  of  them  were  three-masted  East 
Indian  ships,  and  loomed  large  In  the  distance. 
Boats  were  plying  between  them  and  the  pier ;  and 
the  whole  scene  presented  a  busy  appearance.  This 
was  the  outer  boundary  of  the  port  of  London,  where 
outward-bound  vessels  received  their  final  clearances. 
And  here  the  revenue  officers  came  on  board  to 
take  custody  of  our  luggage,  as  well  as  the  river 
pilot  to  navigate  our  steamer  up  the  river. 

From  this  point  the  Thames  became  busier  and 
busier.  We  passed  numbers  of  colliers  floated  up 
by  the  tide,  and  met  outward-bound  ships  sailing 
down,  fishing-boats,  yawls,  wherries,  lighters,  smacks, 
and  vessels  of  all  kinds,  were  seen  on  every  side  ;  while 
along  the  banks  were  workshops  and  manufactories, 
the  scenes  of  busy  Industry.  We  saw  comparatively 
little  of  the  Inland  country  after  passing  Greenhlthe 
— the  river  being  shut  In  by  embankments — until  we 


1838]         FIRST  SIGHT  OF  LONDON  71 

passed  Plumstead  Marshes  and  reached  Woolwich. 
There  we  observed  rows  of  cannon  and  cannon-balls 
piled  along  the  Royal  Dockyard  wharf,  in  front 
of  the  long-  range  of  manufacturing-  workshops. 
Above  Woolwich,  a  stretch  of  low  wooded  hills 
was  seen  extending  over  the  lower  ground,  the  tower 
of  Charlton  Church  forming  a  picturesque  object. 

Now  Mill  wall  was  reached — the  river  still  alive 
with  craft  of  every  sort.  From  this  point  upward, 
the  banks  present  an  almost  continuous  range  of 
buildings.  The  noble  front  of  the  Greenwich 
Hospital — more  like  a  palace  than  a  hospital — 
stood  before  us  in  its  glory,  one  of  the  finest  works 
of  Sir  Christopher  Wren.  Behind  the  hospital  I 
could  see  the  Royal  Observatory,  situated  on  the 
elevated  grounds  amidst  the  trees  of  the  park — the 
Observatory  from  which  British  seamen  reckon  their 
longitude  all  over  the  world.  Then  we  sailed 
past  Deptford  Dockyard,  and  up  Limehouse  Reach, 
to  the  Pool,  which  was  crowded  with  shipping.  We 
reached  the  point  under  which  the  Thames  Tunnel 
crossed  the  river,  and  then  the  old  tumble-down 
houses  of  Wapping,  almost  overhanging  the  water. 
Behind  were  the  magnificent  docks,  with  masts 
shooting  up  like  a  forest  for  miles.  Then  the 
venerable  Tower !  And  this  was  London,  the  great 
city  which  is  the  centre  of  so  many  aspirations. 

I  was  alone  in  the  place,  though  in  the  midst  of 
millions.  I  knew  nobody,  and  nobody  knew  me.  A 
feeling  of  melancholy  is  apt  to  intrude  upon  one  in 
the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  the  unknown.  The  only 
people  who  regarded  me,  and  seemed  to  care  for  me, 
were  the  'bus  conductors,  who  beckoned  to  me,  and 
wished  me  to  patronise  their  vehicles.  But  youth  is 
vigorous,  hopeful,   and  naturally  cheerful.     I   made 


72  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

my  way  to  a  boarding--house  in  Poland  Street,  Oxford 
Street,  to  which  I  had  been  recommended  by  my 
brother,  who  had  lodged  there  the  year  before.  The 
landlady  was  willing-  to  accommodate  me  for  a  week 
or  two,  and  I  took  up  my  abode  there. 

It  was  a  pleasure  to  me  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  Mazzini,  who  was  then  boarding  in  the  house. 
It  was  during  the  period  of  his  first  exile  in  England. 
I  was  struck  by  his  noble  yet  melancholy  countenance. 
He  was  then  suffering  from  the  loss  of  his  young 
Italian  friends,  but  still  more  from  disappointment 
and  loss  of  hope  in  the  future  of  his  country.  He 
had  sought  refuge  at  first  in  Switzerland,  but  his 
persecutors  having  tracked  him  thither,  the  Swiss 
Government,  terrified  by  the  threats  of  its  despotic 
neighbours,  urged  him  to  leave  the  country,  and  he 
eventually  took  refuge  in  England — still,  as  ever, 
the  land  of  the  free. 

''Never  shall  I  forget  it  while  I  live,"  said 
Mazzini  himself,  "nor  ever  utter  without  a  throb 
of  gratitude  the  name  of  the  land  wherein  I  now 
write,  which  became  to  me  almost  as  a  second 
country,  and  in  which  I  found  the  lasting  con- 
solation of  affection,  in  a  life  embittered  by  delusions 
and  destitute  of  all  joy." 

And  yet  he  continued  devoted  to  the  idea  of  the 
united  nationality  of  his  country,  and  still  spoke 
hopefully  of  the  revival  of  cosmopolitanism,  of  the 
brotherhood  of  all  men,  and  the  amelioration  of  all 
through  the  work  of  all. 

I  understood  that  he  was  then  supporting  himself 
as  well  as  some  other  Italian  exiles,  by  writing 
articles  in  the  English  reviews — for  he  understood 
the  English  language  thoroughly — and  that  he  was 
thus  drawing  the  attention  of  the  English  people  to 


1838]  MAZZINI  73 

the  Italian  question.  Finding-,  also,  a  number  of 
poor  Italian  boys  about  the  streets  of  London — 
mostly  playing-  for  their  padres,  who  treated  them 
savagely  —  Mazzini  started  a  school,  and  en- 
deavoured to  teach  them  something  that  was  good. 
He  himself  supplied  the  greater  part  of  the  funds  from 
the  proceeds  of  his  literary  labours,  and  took  his  full 
share  of  the  teaching  of  young  people,  in  what  was 
likely  to  promote  their  moral  and  intellectual  progress. 
He  also  lectured  to  them,  as  well  as  to  Italian 
working-  men,  on  Italian  history,  the  outlines  of 
natural  philosophy,  and  the  lives  of  great  men,  so  as 
to  elevate  them  above  subjection  and  poverty,  and 
fortify  their  minds  in  serious  thought  and  earnest 
purpose. 

But  to  return  to  my  own  special  business  in 
London.  I  called  upon  Mr  Rowland  Hill  at  his 
offices  in  the  Adelphi  Terrace,  and  presented  my 
letter  of  introduction  from  his  uncle.  Provost  Lea  of 
Haddington,  Mr  Hill  received  me  very  kindly. 
The  provost  had  told  me  all  about  his  history. 
Rowland  Hill  had  first  been  a  teacher  at  Hill  Top 
School,  Hazelwood,  near  Birmingham ;  and  a  very 
effective  teacher  he  was.  He  had  there  published  a 
work  on  Public  Education,  and  The  Hazelwood 
Magazine.  In  1826,  at  the  suggestion  of  Lord 
Brougham  and  others,  he  and  his  brothers  founded 
a  similar  school  at  Bruce  Castle,  near  London.  This 
undertaking  proved  satisfactory,  but  the  work  con- 
nected with  it  broke  down  Mr  Hill's  health,  and  he 
left  it  and  travelled  abroad  for  a  time.  But  being  a 
man  of  great  activity  and  ingenuity,  he  sought  for 
new  work  on  his  return  home.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Useful 
Knowledge,  the   inventor  of  a    Printing   Press,  the 


74  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

author  of  a  paper,  prepared  for  Lord  Brougham,  on 
''Home  Colonies"  for  the  gradual  extinction  of 
pauperism  and  the  diminution  of  crime.  He  was  also 
devising  his  great  scheme  of  Postal  Reform.  But, 
meanwhile,  a  project  had  been  formed  for  the  colonisa- 
tion of  the  then  unoccupied  territory  of  South 
Australia ;  an  Act  for  the  purpose  was  obtained ; 
commissioners  were  appointed,  and  of  this  body  Mr 
Rowland  Hill  was  appointed  secretary.  It  was  in 
reference  to  the  position  that  he  held  in  this  project, 
that  I  called  upon  him. 

In  his  usual  kindly  manner,  he  gave  me  much 
good  advice.  He  did  not  think  that  South  Australia 
as  yet  held  out  any  inducements  to  professional  men. 
It  was  capitalists  who  would  invest  money  in  the 
lands  of  the  Colony — labourers  of  all  kinds,  skilled 
and  otherwise — ploughmen,  servants,  and  shepherds 
who  knew  something  about  flocks.  I  had  no  pre- 
tensions to  take  rank  amongst  any  of  these  classes, 
and  I  felt  it  necessary  to  abandon  my  idea  of 
emigrating  to  that  part  of  the  world. 

''Stay  at  home,"  said  Rowland  Hill;  "with  an 
active  mind  like  yours,  there  is  plenty  of  room  for 
you  here.  I  find  that,  like  myself,  you  have  written 
about  Education.  I  have  read  your  book — it  is  very 
good :  my  uncle  sent  It  me.  Go  on  in  the  same 
direction  :  there  is  plenty  of  room."  I  thanked  him 
for  his  encouragement.  He  concluded  by  asking  me 
to  come  and  dine  with  him  at  2  Burton  Crescent, 
where  he  then  lived.  He  would  Introduce  me  to 
Mrs  Hill  and  his  family,  and  I  should  meet  Dr 
Bowrlng. 

I  went  accordingly,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
making  Mrs  Hill's  acquaintance,  and  that  of  her  two 
charming  little  girls.     I  also  met  Dr  Bowring.     He 


1838]  THE  PEOPLE'S  CHARTER  76 

was  then  distinguished  as  a  philologist,  political 
writer,  and  statistician.  He  had  been  editor  of  the 
Westminster  Review y  and  for  some  time  member  of 
Parliament  for  the  Kilmarnock  Burghs.  Much  of 
the  conversation  was  new  to  me,  and  very  interesting-, 
ranging  over  a  wide  field  of  topics.  While  I  had 
been  abroad  in  Germany,  the  queen  had  been 
crowned,  a  rebellion  had  broken  out  in  Canada, 
stormy  proceedings  had  taken  place  in  Parliament, 
and  the  agitation  for  the  Charter  had  begun  at 
Birmingham.  The  conversation  turned  upon  the 
scheme  of  Postal  Reform,  about  which  Mr  Rowland 
Hill  had  already  published  his  pamphlet.  Indeed, 
on  the  13th  of  August,  the  preceding  month,  the 
select  committee  had  reported  in  favour  of  the 
scheme.  I  could  not  fail  to  spend  a  pleasant  and 
most  instructive  evening  in  such  society. 

A  few  days  later  I  went  to  the  public  meeting 
held  in  New  Palace  Yard,  on  the  1 7th  of  September. 
The  object  was  to  petition  Parliament  in  favour  of 
the  People's  Charter,  the  movement  in  favour  of 
which  had  been  initiated  at  Birmingham  a  few  days 
before.  The  chief  speaker  was  Feargus  O'Connor, 
who  was  loud  and  mouthing.  Richardson,  his  disciple, 
also  spoke.  Hetherington,  Lovett,  Fraser  of  Edin- 
burgh, and  Ebenezer  Elliott  of  Sheffield,  were  there. 
The  proceedings  were  marred  by  the  physical  force 
swagger  of  some  of  the  speakers.  I  did  not  much 
admire  the  London  crowd.  They  seemed  loafers 
and  idlers,  not  working  men.  Palace  Yard  then 
formed  a  square.  Opposite  the  platform  in  front  of 
the  hotel,  from  which  the  orators  spoke,  was  the 
entrance  to  Westminster  Hall,  towards  which  the 
speakers  often  pointed.  I  kept  clear  of  the  crowd, 
and  looked  after  my  pockets.     Of  course,  everything 


76  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

passed  off  with  '' loud  cheers."    The  movement  was 
fairly  begun. 

The  next  visit  I  paid  was  to  a  dear  and  estimable 
lady,  whose  contributions  to  the  Mo7ithly  Repository 
I  had  read  and  re-read — I  mean  Mrs  M.  Leman 
Gillies.  Before  leaving  Haddington,  I  had  received 
the  following  letter  from  her  : — 


"43  Allsop  Terrace,  Regent  Park, 
"London,  /^th January  1838. 

"  Dear  Sir, — A  few  days  ago,  I  was  gratified  by 
the  receipt  of  your  excellent  little  work  on  Physical 
Education,  and  the  very  flattering  letter  by  which  it 
was  accompanied.  My  first  impulse  was  to  write  to 
you  immediately,  for  I  feared  that  I  might  already 
lie  justly  open  to  the  charge  of  ingratitude  or 
negligence,  your  letter  being  dated  as  far  back  as 
the  twelfth  of  last  month.  But  it  was  suggested 
to  me  that  I  had  better  first  read  the  work,  and  that 
so  doing  would  ^  enable  me  to  reply  with  more 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  both  to  the  author  and 
myself  This  advice^  (which  you  will  not  think  the 
worse  of  me  for  taking  so  readily,  as  it  was  given 
by  my  husband — the  brother  of  an  oftentimes  near 
neighbour  of  yours;  Lord  Gillies),  I  acted  upon ; 
and  I  have  read  your  book  with  great  pleasure  and 
advantage,  for  the  advice  and  instruction  which  it  con- 
tains admit  of  application  beyond  the  beautiful  little 
atoms  of  humanity  for  whom  it  is  designed.  I  shall 
send  the  work  immediately  to  a  sister  of  mine,  now- 
staying  at  Jersey,  who  has  a  large  and  lovely  family 
of  children,  and  also  to  another  married  sister, 
yet  more  remote,  who,  like  myself,  has  become  a 
graft  upon  a  Scottish  family.  Your  name  is  a  fit 
harbinger  of  your  useful  and  benevolent  work,  and 
it  will  be  welcomed  everywhere  with  that  mute  but 
bright  language  which  your  name  expresses. 

''  I  am  delighted  that  you  say  so  much  on  these 
important  and  much  neglected  matters — Ventilation 
and  the  Skin.  No  building  should  be  erected 
without  immediate  reference  to  the  first — no   being 


1838]  LONDON  FRIENDS  77 

exist  without  great  regard  to  the  latter.  Well- 
constructed  dwellings  and  an  easy  access  to  warm 
baths  would,  I  am  persuaded,  beyond  anything  else, 
improve  the  useful  classes  of  these  kingdoms,  and 
form  essential  auxiliaries  to  the  Schools  and  Insti- 
tutes,^ which,  from  the  depths  of  my  heart,  I  rejoice  to 
see  rising  everywhere.  Free  lungs  and  pure  skin 
would  introduce  that  cheerfulness  and  suavity  of 
manner  in  which  the  working  people  of  England,  at 
least,  are  so  deficient.  That  universal  instrument  of 
Divine ^  Benevolence — the  Air,  which  no  set  of 
Excluslonists  have  yet  been  able  to  appropriate — 
awakens,  when  it  Is  permitted  to  permeate  the  frame, 
feelings  analogous  to  itself — activity,  the  handmaid 
of  industry,  springs  up,  and  cheerfulness,  the  inspirer 
of  sociality,  goes  forth. 

''Greatly,  also.  Is  the  human  family  indebted  to 
you  for  your  advocacy  of  Singing  as  a  means  of 
health  and  branch  of  education.  Ignorantly  and 
ungratefully  have  we  neglected  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  gifts  of  a  bountiful  God.  How  many 
hundred  years  have  the  birds  on  every  bough 
breathed  to  us  admonition  and  example — yet  all 
that  has  been  effected  in  this  country  has  been  to 
make  Music  a  sickly  exotic  in  the  homes  of  luxury, 
and  even  there  ministering  more  to  vanity  than 
anything  else. 

''Let  me  not  forget  to  tell  you  that  'C'*  Is  the 
daughter  of  Dr  Southwood  Smith,  and  is  now  Mrs 
Hill,  of  Wisbeach,  near  Cambridge.  I  have  given 
you  this  Information  without  consulting  her,  but  I 
cannot  Imagine  that  I  do  wrong-. 

"  I  hope,  my  dear  sir,  that  your  book  will  meet  all 
the  success  which  It  merits — your  <^^^/ reward  is  certain ; 
of  that  it  is  impossible  you  should  be  defrauded. 

"Pray  accept  my  thanks,  and  believe  me  respect- 
fully yours, 

"  M.  Leman  Gillies." 

*  I  may  mention  that  a  series  of  very  interesting  articles  appeared 
in  the  Monthly  Repository  entitled,  "  Memoranda  of  Observations  and 
Experiments  in  Education."  They  were  signed  "  C,"  and  were  after- 
wards republished  collectively  by  "Caroline  Southwood  Hill."  My 
interest  in  the  articles  led  me  to  inquire  of  Mrs  L.  Gillies  as  to  the 
author. 


78  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND     • 

It  was  the  least  I  could  do,  while  in  London,  to 
visit  the  lady  who  had  been  so  polite  to  me.  I  did 
so,  and  had  much  pleasant  conversation  with  her. 

At  the  house  of  her  relative.  Miss  Margaret 
Gillies,  in  Millfield  Lane,  Hig-hgate,  besides  Mrs 
Leman  Gillies,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
Dr  Southwood  Smith,  who  lived  near  at  hand, 
author  of  the  Philosophy  of  Health,  and  the  friend 
of  Jeremy  Bentham ;  Edwin  Chadwick,  already 
becoming  distinguished  in  connection  with  the 
Sanitary  movement ;  Miss  Mary  Gillies,  an  amiable 
and  most  accomplished  lady ;  and  a  charming  girl, 
very  much  made  of  by  everybody.  I  thought  she 
was  precocious,  but  she  was  merely  quick  and 
cultivated,  from  mixing  much  in  the  best  society. 
She  was  Dr  Smith's  granddaughter,  and  the  daughter 
of  *'C,"  referred  to  in  Mrs  Leman  Gillies's  letter  to 
me.  She  became  afterwards  extensively  known  and 
beloved ;  and  many  now  bless  the  name  of  Miss 
Octavia  Hill. 

I  need  not  go  through  the  sights  I  saw  during  my 
first  visit  to  London.  But  it  was  not  the  ''sights"  I 
saw,  but  the  enormous  size  of  London,  that  impressed 
me.  I  had  been  brought  up  in  a  country  town  where 
I  knew  everybody,  even  the  cocks  and  hens  running 
about  the  streets.  Now  I  was  in  a  great  city  of 
some  three  millions  of  people,  where  I  was  only  a 
stray  unit,  knowing  nobody.  The  busy  throng  of 
the  streets,  the  rush  of  life  through  the  thoroughfares, 
the  tide  of  human  necessity  which  rolled  along  from 
day  to  day,  could  not  fail  to  excite  my  sense  of  wonder. 
London  was  a  new  world,  unlike  everything  I  had 
before  seen,  or  even  imagined.  It  filled  my  mind, 
and  took  possession  of  my  being. 

Such  is  the  bulk  of  London ;  it  is  impossible  for 


1838]        FREEDOM  OF  LONDONERS  79 

any  one  to  see  it  all,  to  know  it  all,  to  understand  it 
all,  outgrowing-,  as  it  daily  does,  all  possible  means 
of  seeing  and  knowing  it.  Londoners  themselves, 
who  spend  their  daily  life  in  it,  often  know  as  little 
about  it  as  country  people  do.  The  inhabitant  of 
the  West  End  knows  as  little  of  those  of  the  East 
End,  as  the  latter  do  of  Wales  or  the  Hig-hlands.  To 
most  men,  London  may  be  an  utter  solitude,  if  they 
wish  it.  They  may  live  there  unknowing  and 
unknown.  In  the  midst  of  millions  they  may  be 
alone,  far  more  than  they  can  possibly  be  in  the 
country  town,  where  every  man's  life  and  concerns 
become  the  business  of  everybody.  In  London,  there 
is  an  entire  emancipation  from  tattlers  and  busy- 
bodies.  Hazlitt  says  that  you  can  enjoy  the  greatest 
personal  freedom  in  the  world  there ;  and  that 
''personal  merit  is  at  a  prodigious  discount  in  the 
provinces."  That  maybe;  but  at  the  same  time  in 
London  there  is  a  want  of  personal  sympathy. 
Though  there  is  no  scandal,  there  is  no  help.  The 
people  are  strangers  to  each  other ;  each  is  intent 
upon  his  own  business,  knowing  nothing,  and  caring 
less  about  what  his  neighbours  are  doing,  or  feeling, 
or  suffering.  Jostling  each  other  in  the  streets,  they 
press  forward  eagerly  in  pursuit  of  their  special 
object.  The  country  big  man  feels  himself  nobody 
in  London.  There  is,  indeed,  no  such  remedy  for 
provincial  vanity  and  self-importance  as  a  visit  to 
London.  When  the  Highland  chief  paid  his  first 
visit,  his  retainers  thought  that  London  would  be 
thrown  into  commotion  by  the  event.  But  London 
took  no  notice.  To  account  for  it,  the  chief  explained 
that  "  London  was  quite  in  a  state  of  confusion  when 
I  was  there!"  It  was,  however,  only  its  ordinary 
state  of  confusion. 


80  EETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

There  is  one  thing-  that  Londoners  may  boast  of 
— extreme  mental  liberty.  A  man  may  think  and 
speak  as  he  likes — within  the  law.  No  man  is 
muzzled  or  shouted  down  on  account  of  his  opinions, 
or  exposed  to  the  petty  persecutions  he  has  some- 
times to  endure  in  the  provinces.  He  need  not  be  a 
hypocrite ;  he  has  no  pretence  for  being-  a  hypocrite. 
Public  opinion  in  London  may  be  inactive  and  slow 
to  manifest  itself;  but  private  opinion  is  active, 
free,  and  independent.  This,  to  my  mind,  forms 
one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  London  life,  for  it  is 
one  of  the  greatest  privileges  which  free-minded  men 
can  desire. 

One  word  more,  before  I  leave  London.  Dr 
Epps  had  so  strongly  eulogised  my  little  book  on 
Physical  Education,  in  his  published  lectures  on 
Physiology,  that  I  thought  it  right  to  call  upon  him 
and  thank  him  for  his  good  services.  He  received 
me  kindly ;  and,  amongst  other  things,  he  told  me 
that  he  had  a  great  many  applications  from  the 
country  for  homeopathic  practitioners.  *'  I  re- 
commend you  to  study  the  subject,"  he  said;  ''and 
I  can  send  you  down  to  Leeds,  where  there  is  a 
splendid  opening."  He  spoke  with  absolute  con- 
fidence of  the  truth  of  the  new  views,  as  if  not  a 
word  could  be  said  on  the  opposite  side.  Dr  Epps 
was  always  a  man  to  be  "cock-sure."  And  yet, 
homeopathy,  as  first  presented,  never  seemed  to  me 
entirely  acceptable.  I  was  told  in  Germany  that  if 
a  grain  of  opium  in  solution  were  dropped  into  the 
Rhine  at  Schaffhausen,  it  could  only  have  reached 
sufficient  dilution  to  be  administered  in  the  millionth- 
grain  dose  by  the  time  it  reached  Coblentz.  No 
doubt  small  doses  of  poisons  as  well  as  medicines 
often   produce   powerful   effects.      But   I    had   been 


1838]  DR  EPPS  81 

accustomed  to  very  appreciable  doses  of  most  things, 
and  I  could  not,  for  mere  personal  interest,  give  up 
my  views.  I  promised,  however,  to  look  further 
into  the  matter,  but  meanwhile  declined  the  kind 
invitation.  I  parted  with  Dr  Epps,  the  best  of 
friends. 

I  then  proceeded  to  Sheffield,  to  see  my  friend 
Carstairs,  whom  I  had  known  and  assisted  at  North 
Berwick.  There  was  no  railway  then  through  the 
Midlands.  The  London  and  Birmingham  railway 
had  been  opened  throughout  on  the  17th  of 
September,  the  day  on  which  the  Chartist  meeting 
had  been  held  in  Palace  Yard.  I  preferred,  however, 
to  go  round  by  sea ;  and  accordingly  proceeded  to 
Hull.  I  had  a  pleasant  voyage,  and  went  to  the 
boarding-house  overlooking  the  H umber,  where  I 
had  been  well  accommodated  some  five  months 
before. 

From  Hull,  I  went  by  steamer  up  the  H umber  to 
Thorne,  on  the  river  Don.  Here  a  coach  was 
waiting  to  take  us  on  to  Sheffield.  We  went  by 
Doncaster — a  bright  little  town.  The  day  was  fine 
and  sunny.  The  trees  were  tipped  with  gold,  and 
already  assuming  their  autumnal  look.  We  passed 
Coningsburgh  Castle,  the  famous  place  described  in 
Ivanhoe,  supposed  to  have  been  the  home  of 
Athelstan  the  Unready.  It  stands  on  a  wooded 
hill  close  by  the  road.  Its  round  towers  and  flying 
buttresses  had  a  romantic  effect,  and  the  scenery 
around  was  most  charming.  It  was  true  English 
scenery. 

The  coach  took  us  through  Rotherham  to 
Sheffield,  over  which  hung  a  pall  of  dark  smoke. 
We  went  along  the  banks  of  the  Don,  which  became 
filthy  and  black  as  we  proceeded  upwards.     Collieries, 


82  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

quarries,  and  iron  works,  were  on  every  side.  The 
houses  became  continuous,  until  we  reached  the 
great  teeming  centre  of  the  cutlery  manufacture. 
Tilt  hammers  were  beating*,  grinding"  mills  were 
turning,  and  chimneys  were  vomiting  forth  their 
smoke. 

My  friend  was  ready  to  receive  me.  He  made 
me  welcome,  and  I  soon  felt  at  home.  He  was 
working  his  way  into  a  good  practice,  and  in  his 
leisure  hours  he  was  writing  articles  for  the  Sheffield 
Iris,  which  he  found  to  be  a  pleasant  as  well  as  a 
profitable  employment.  One  of  the  first  persons  to 
whom  I  was  introduced  was  John  Bridgeford,  the  por- 
prietor  of  that  journal — a  genial,  honest  man,  whose 
friendship  I  then  made.  Through  him  I  got  to  know 
his  friends,  who  were  large-hearted  like  himself, 
among  others  James  Montgomery,  the  poet,  who 
looked  thin  and  old.  He  still  continued  to  write, 
though  not  for  the  Iris,  of  which  he  had  at  one 
time  been  editor.  But  perhaps  still  more  interest- 
ing was  my  introduction  to  Ebenezer  Elliott, 
the  Corn-law  Rhymer,  with  whom  I  afterwards 
became  much  better  acquainted.  I  had  seen  him 
before  at  the  meeting  in  Palace  Yard ;  but  now  I 
saw  him  in  his  own  warehouse. 

I  was  taken  up  a  flight  of  wooden  stairs  to  his 
office  in  Gibraltar  Street,  and  there  I  found  him 
standing  behind  the  counter.  The  place  was  some- 
what dingy — fit  enough  for  iron  and  steel  dealing, 
but  scarcely  giving  one  the  indication  of  a  poet's 
study.  I  was  introduced ;  and  though  quiet  at  first, 
he  soon  opened  up,  and,  pacing  up  and  down,  talked 
bitterly  of  ''those  dirt-kings — the  tax-gorged  lords 
of  land."  He  was  rather  slightly  formed;  his 
features  were  somewhat  marked   by  the  smallpox ; 


1S38]  EBENEZEE  ELLIOTT  88 

his  very  shaggy  eyebrows  overhung-  his  blue  eyes  ; 
and  his  head  was  covered  with  thick  grey  hair.  The 
thing  uppermost  in  his  mind  was  *'The  Bread  Tax." 
He  had  already  been  publishing  vehement  poetry  on 
the  subject ;  and  he  soon  became  well  known  as 
"The  Corn-law  Rhymer." 

I  mentioned  the  fact  of  his  appearance  on  the 
platform  in  Palace  Yard. 

**Ah!"  he  said,  ''were  you  there?  that  fellow 
Feargus  O'Connor  will  ruin  that  cause.  The  threat 
of  physical  force  will  never  do  :  we  want  the  power 
of  public  opinion.  In  the  long  run,  it  must 
prevail." 

I  referred  to  his  poems  on  the  Bread  Tax. 

"People  think  me  ferocious,"  he  said,  "but  I 
cannot  write  gently  on  that  great  crime.  And  yet 
I  could  not  hurt  a  fly,  even  if  it  stung  me." 

Elliott  was  the  Burns  of  his  time.  He  lived  in  a 
manufacturing  town,  instead  of  in  the  country ;  and 
he  saw  industry  hampered,  and  working  people 
distressed,  by  what  he  thought  to  be  a  law  against 
nature  and  humanity.  Hence  the  vehemence  of  his 
songs  against  the  Corn  Laws.  The  more  beautiful 
side  of  the  poet's  nature  is  revealed  when  he  takes  to 
the  Green  Lawn,  the  Open  Heath,  or  the  Wild 
Mountain,  and  writes  about  "The  Wonders  of  the 
Lawn,"  "The  Excursion,  "The  Dying  Boy  to  the 
Sloe-blossom,"  or  "  Don  and  Rother."  Then  his 
anger  is  disarmed,  and  he  takes  nature  to  his 
bosom.  Yet  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  he 
gained  little  reputation  by  his  tender  and  gentler 
effusions ;  for  it  was  only  when  he  became  in  a 
manner  notorious  as  "The  Corn-law  Rhymer" 
that  his  merits  as  a  true  poet  began  to  be 
discovered. 


84  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

Before  leaving  Sheffield,  my  friends  Carstairs  and 
Bridgeford  strongly  recommended  me  to  settle  down 
at  Doncaster,  where  there  was  then  a  good  opening 
for  a  general  practitioner.  I  was  disposed  to  take 
their  advice,  and  returned  home  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  necessary  arrangements.  Bridgeford 
accompanied  me  on  the  top  of  the  coach  as  far  as 
Hathersage,  on  my  way  to  Manchester.  I  knew 
nobody  in  Manchester,  and  proceeded  to  Liverpool 
by  the  railway,  which  had  been  opened  a  few  years 
before.  The  ride  was  something  surprising ;  and  the 
speed  was  then  thought  unrivalled.  I  little  thought 
that  in  a  future  year  I  should  write  the  life  of  the 
engineer  of  that  railway. 

After  staying  for  a  few  days  with  a  relative  in 
Liverpool,  I  took  steamer  for  Glasgow.  From 
Glasgow,  I  returned  home  to  Haddington,  for  it 
was  still  home  ;  but  only  for  a  month.  I  collected  all 
my  ''  things  "  about  me — my  clothes,  my  instruments, 
my  books  (such  as  I  wished  to  preserve),  and  set 
out  again  for  Doncaster,  for  the  purpose  of  settling 
down  there. 

I  had  desired  any  letters  that  might  arrive  for 
me  after  I  left,  to  be  sent  to  me,  care  of  Mr  Scott, 
architect  (of  Gilbert  and  Scott),  who  was  then  living 
at  Doncaster.  On  calling  there,  a  letter  was 
presented  to  me,  the  perusal  of  which  had  an 
important  influence  on  my  future  career.  It  was 
from  Mr  Bingley,  reporter  for  the  Leeds  Times,  and 
was  written  on  behalf  of  Mr  Hobson,  the  proprietor 
of  that  newspaper. 

The  letter  was  to  this  effect :  that  the  prosperity 
of  the  Leeds  Times  had  not  continued  since  the  death 
of  Robert  NicoU ;  that  its  circulation  had  fallen  off, 
partly    through    the    competition    of    the    Chartist 


1838]         EDITOE  OF  LEEDS  TIMES  85 

organ,  the  Northern  Star,  conducted  by  Feargus 
O'Connor ;  and  that,  though  Mr  Hooton  was  a 
most  able  man,  of  great  literary  finish,  he  had 
somehow  not  entered  freely  into  the  political  move- 
ments of  the  neighbourhood,  and  that,  in  short,  he 
was  about  to  leave,  and  Mr  Hobson  wished  to 
supply  his  place  with  another  Scotsman. 

This  was  certainly  a  great  move.  Dr  Epps  had 
proposed  to  send  me  down  to  Leeds  as  a  homeopathic 
doctor.  That  offer  I  could  not  accept ;  as  I  had  no 
faith  in  homeopathy.  But  now  came  another 
proposal  that  I  should  go  to  Leeds.  It  seemed  as 
if  Leeds  were  to  be  my  fate.  I  could  not  come  to  a 
conclusion  on  the  moment.  But  I  would  go  over  to 
Sheffield  again,  and  consult  my  friends  Carstairs 
and  Bridgeford.  When  I  mentioned  the  matter  to 
them,  they  were  delighted.  They  recommended  me 
at  once  to  accept  the  proposal :  "it  was  a  fine  field," 
they  said,  **and  even  if  you  do  not  succeed  as  an 
editor,  the  trial  will  afford  you  an  opportunity  of 
looking  about  you  and  finding  some  other  opening 
where  you  can  eventually  succeed." 

I  certainly  hesitated,  before  stepping  into  the 
shoes  of  Robert  Nicoll  and  Charles  Hooton,  the 
one  an  enthusiastic  poet  and  able  editor,  the  other 
an  accomplished  literary  man  ;  but,  as  Bridgeford 
said,  "You  can  but  try,"  and  Carstairs  added,  "I 
know  you  can  do  it,  if  you  use  your  full  mind  and 
vigour,"  I  came  to  the  conclusion  to  abide  by 
their  recommendation,  and  accordingly  wrote  to 
the  proprietor  of  the  Leeds  Times  accepting  his 
proposal. 

I  went  over  to  Leeds  by  coach,  passing  through 
Barnsby  and  Wakefield,  and  duly  arrived  at  the 
great  manufacturing  town,  overhung  by  clouds  of 


86  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND 

smoke.  There  I  was  to  remain  for  nearly  twenty 
years  ;  there  I  married,  there  all  my  children  were 
born  ;  and  there  I  spent  about  the  happiest  and 
most  fruitful  period  of  my  life. 

And  now  for  the  life  of  the  provincial  editor. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

I  ARRIVED  in  Leeds  towards  the  end  of  November 
1838.  I  had  still  about  six  weeks  to  spend  before  I 
began  my  work  as  editor.  There  was  time  to  make 
acquaintance  with  the  place,  to  understand  the  local 
politics,  and  prepare  for  the  work  to  be  done. 

Leeds  forms  the  centre  of  an  immense  manu- 
facturing- district.  It  is  the  heart  of  the  woollen 
trade.  The  people  are  distinguished  for  their  energy 
in  business,  commerce,  and  politics.  They  are 
robust,  manly,  industrious,  shrewd,  and  hard-headed. 
When  Kohl,  the  traveller,  visited  the  town,  he  gave 
a  very  poor  account  of  its  art  and  architecture.  It 
has  become  more  ornamented  since  then.  But 
though  there  was  little  art,  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
common  sense  and  public  spirit. 

At  the  time  I  entered  Leeds,  there  was  a  consider- 
able amount  of  distress  among  the  working  people. 
The  price  of  food  was  high,  and  wages  were  low. 
Good  wheat  was  from  80s.  to  86s.  the  quarter.  In 
fact,  the  price  of  corn  had  not  been  so  high  for  twenty 
years.  All  this  told  upon  the  labouring  classes.  The 
Northern  Star  was  furiously  preaching  the  Charter. 
Feargus  O'Connor  was  holding  torchlight  meetings 
in  the  manufacturing  districts,  and  approaching  more 

87 


88        EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

and  more  to  the  doctrines  of  physical  force.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Corn  Law  repealers  were  beginning" 
to  move,  though  only  by  very  tentative  steps. 

The  first  lecture  on  the  subject  was  given  by  Mr 
Paulton  at  Leeds  on  the  29th  December  1838. 
Though  Mr  Baines,  one  of  the  members  for  the 
borough,  was  in  the  chair,  the  meeting  was  very 
thinly  attended.  The  lecture  was  read,  with  not 
much  force ;  and  though  the  lecturer  was  thanked, 
but  little  effect  was  produced.  A  fortnight  later,  a 
public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Cloth  Hall  Yard,  for 
the  repeal  of  the  Corn  Laws.  The  meeting  was 
largely  attended,  partly  because  Feargus  O'Connor 
was  to  be  there.  Mr  George  Goodman  introduced 
the  motion  for  repeal,  and  was  opposed  by  the 
Chartist  leader.  I  presented  myself  for  the  first 
time  before  a  Leeds  audience,  and  moved  the 
previous  question.  ''Who  is  he?  What  is  he?"  I 
heard  asked  on  every  side.  ''It's  the  new  editor  of 
the  Leeds  Times/''  In  this  way,  I  soon  got  to  be 
known.  I  may  add  that,  after  a  long  palaver, 
Feargus  O'Connor  was  defeated,  and  the  resolutions 
were  carried  by  a  considerable  majority. 

I  may  mention  that  a  meeting  had  been  held  at 
Manchester  a  few  days  before,  at  which  the  Anti- 
Corn-Law  Association  had  been  formed.  Mr 
Cobden  appeared  at  this  meeting,  and  recommended 
those  present  to  invest  part  of  their  property  in  the 
fund,  to  save  the  rest  from  confiscation.  Subscrip- 
tions were  at  once  put  down  for  large  sums  ;  the 
Anti-Corn-Law  Circular  vf2iS  started  ;  and  the  move- 
ment was  fairly  initiated. 

Meanwhile  I  proceeded  with  my  own  work — the 
editing  of  the  paper.  I  had  perhaps  some  of  the 
qualities  necessary  for  an  editor.     I  had  plenty  of 


1839]  LIFE  IN  LEEDS  89 

energy,  and  ability  for  work.  I  was  ready  for  it  at 
all  times — early  in  the  morningf,  at  midday,  and  at 
midnight.  When  a  country  doctor,  I  had  always 
been  ready  to  ride  at  any  minute,  in  all  weathers ; 
now  I  was  equally  ready  to  write. 

It  was  pleasant  work  too.  I  had  to  read  no  end 
of  newspapers,  periodicals,  and  reviews.  My  pair  of 
scissors  took  the  place  of  my  lancet.  I  clipped  and 
cut,  and  made  piles  of  extracts,  without  fear  of  injury 
to  any  human  life.  Then  I  used  the  paste  pot  with 
effect,  and  made  up  my  slips  for  the  paper.  Much  of 
my  reading  was  skimming,  but  I  was  soon  able  to 
get  the  gist  of  a  thing. 

Readiness  and  quickness  were  great  points.  A 
newspaper  editor  cannot  be  a  writer  of  "moods." 
He  must  be  ready  at  noon,  ready  at  night ;  quick  of 
apprehension,  quick  at  expression.  These  qualities 
did  not  come  suddenly.  They  came  by  degrees,  with 
constant  use  and  experience.  I  was  willing  to  work, 
and  was  always  working. 

I  used  to  write  about  four  columns  of  leader  a 
week,  besides  subleaders  and  paragraphs.  Then  I 
wrote  a  column  or  two  of  reviews  of  books.  This, 
with  looking  over  the  correspondence,  filled  up  my 
time  pretty  well.  I  had  plenty  to  do,  moreover,  in 
my  spare  minutes.  I  read  many  papers  before  the 
Literary  Institutes,  took  part  in  public  meetings, 
and  attended  at  the  soirees  of  Mechanics  Institutes 
throughout  the  West  Riding. 

The  distress  continued  to  increase  in  1839.  Flour 
was  3s.  lod.  a  stone.  This  means  a  great  deal  to  a 
man  who  lives  by  his  labour  and  the  eating  of  bread. 
To  many  families  it  meant  destitution,  especially  at  a 
time  when  work  was  scarce.  I  think  it  was  about  this 
time  that  my  friend  Colonel   Thompson  wrote  his 


90        EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

famous  little  paper  on  **The  Siege  of  Bolton."  It 
first  appeared  in  the  Sun,  and  was  spread  broadcast 
through  the  country  on  the  wings  of  the  press.  It 
was  a  most  vivid  account  of  the  intense  suffering 
endured  from  want  of  food  by  the  hungry  population 
of  that  manufacturing  town.  Of  course  it  pointed  a 
moral.  As  in  O'Connell's  celebrated  story  of  the 
horse,  **  Will  they  try  Corn  ?  "  that  was  the  remedy  for 
starvation. 

The  Chartists,  however,  insisted  on  their  own 
remedy.  Nothing  but  the  Charter  could  answer  their 
purpose  :  nothing  but  universal  suffrage.  They  went 
to  all  manner  of  lengths  to  force  their  measure  before 
the  public.  They  mustered  in  the  churches,  and 
crowded  out  the  regular  congregations.  At  Man- 
chester, they  took  possession  of  the  Cathedral,  but 
when  the  preacher  announced  his  text,  ''  My  house  is 
the  house  of  prayer,  but  ye  have  made  it  a  den  of 
thieves,"  they  left  the  place  abruptly.  They  mustered 
at  public  meetings,  and  insisted  upon  the  Charter.  I 
was  present  at  a  meeting  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
School  Society  held  in  the  Commercial  Buildings  on 
the  4th  September  1839,  at  which  the  publisher  of 
the  Northern  Star  and  his  followers  were  present. 
Mr  Baines,  M.P.,  was  in  the  chair  ;  but  a  motion  was 
proposed  that  Joshua  Hobson  should  preside ;  and  a 
vigorous  contest  took  place.  Mr  Baines  stood  firmly 
to  his  post,  though  Hobson  tried  to  push  him  out  of 
the  chair.  The  quiet  Quaker  ladies  sat  still  and 
looked  in  amazement.  Of  course,  nothing  could  be 
done.  The  members  of  the  Society  eventually 
retired.  The  gas  was  turned  off;  and  the  meeting 
broke  up  in  disorder. 

The  working  people  suffered  much.  Towards  the 
close  of  the  year,  at  least  10,000  persons  were  out  of 


1840]  THE  ANTI-CORN-LAW  LEAGUE        91 

employment  in  the  bnrgh  of  Leeds.  Though  the 
people  complained,  they  did  not  riot.  It  was  different 
elsewhere.  There  were  riots  at  Birmingham,  Man- 
chester, Newcastle,  and  other  places.  At  Newport, 
in  Wales,  a  Chartist  insurrection  took  place,  which 
ended  in  the  capture  of  Frost  and  a  number  of 
rioters.  At  Bradford,  men  openly  practised  military 
evolutions  on  Fairweather  Green,  furnished  with 
pikes  and  firearms.  Sixteen  of  them  were  appre- 
hended by  the  police,  and  were  sentenced  to  various 
terms  of  imprisonment.  Feargus  O'Connor  himself 
was  sentenced  to  eighteen  months'  imprisonment  for 
inciting  to  insurrection  and  plunder  in  the  Northern 
Star, 

The  Anti-Corn- Law  movement  had  as  yet  made 
no  real  progress.  The  Whig  ministry,  then  in  office, 
was  dead  against  it.  The  Chartists  commanded 
the  multitude,  and  they,  or  at  least  the  noisiest  part 
of  them,  were  equally  opposed  to  the  repealers. 
In  March  1840,  a  deputation  of  Anti-Corn- Law  men 
appeared  in  London,  and  waited  upon  the  leading 
ministers.  Having  stated  to  Lord  Melbourne,  then 
Premier,  their  object — the  repeal  of  the  Corn  Law — 
his  lordship  curtly  remarked,  ''You  know  that  to  be 
quite  impracticai)le."  Their  interviews  with  the 
others  were  equally  unsatisfactory.  Multitudes  of 
petitions  for  the  repeal  were  of  no  use.  On  the  26th 
of  May,  the  House  of  Commons,  by  a  majority  of  123, 
refused  to  consider  the  question  of  the  Corn  Laws. 

What  was  to  be  done?  My  friend,  Mr  Hamer 
Stansfeld  of  Leeds,  thought  that  the  true  method 
was  to  infuse  some  new  blood  into  Parliament  by  the 
extension  of  the  franchise.  The  ten  pound  suffrage 
introduced  by  the  Reform  Bill  had  only  enfranchised 
the  middle  classes.     Why  not  extend  the  suffrage  to 


92        EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

the  industrious  people — the  working:  power  of  the 
country?  After  conferring  with  Mr  James  Garth 
Marshall — the  friend  and  correspondent  of  the  late 
Dr  Arnold — it  was  arranged  that  a  society  should  be 
established  for  this  purpose. 

Mr  Stansfeld  was  a  man  for  whom  I  had  the 
greatest  esteem.  He  was  frank,  free,  and  open,  in 
all  that  he  did.  He  possessed  the  courtesy  of  the 
true  gentleman ;  and  withal  he  was  intelligent, 
enlightened,  and  firm  to  his  purpose.  He  was  full 
of  industry,  integrity,  and  excellence.  In  a  word,  his 
character  was  sterling.  As  was  said  of  some  one — 
he  had  the  whitest  soul  that  ever  I  knew. 

I  felt  it  to  be  a  great  honour  to  be  consulted  by 
such  a  man.  He  was  pleased  to  say  that  he  had  read 
and  approved  my  views  as  to  ''levelling  up"  the 
people  as  a  mass,  by  education  and  the  extension 
of  privileges — so  as  to  do  away  with  the  idea  of 
social  exclusiveness.  He  had  read  my  **  Appeal  to 
the  Middle  Classes,"  which  had  appeared  in  the  Leeds 
Times  of  loth  August ;  and  suggested  that  an  associa- 
tion should  be  formed  for  the  extension  and  redistribu- 
tion of  the  franchise.  He  asked  me  to  write  out  an 
address  on  the  subject,  which  I  proceeded  to  do. 
This  was  approved  by  his  friends,  and  published.  A 
number  of  leading  men  subscribed  their  names,  and 
a  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Music  Hall,  on  the 
31st  of  August  1840,  to  initiate  the  new  association, 
James  Garth  Marshall  in  the  Chair. 

The  first  meeting  was  very  successful.  The 
chairman  made  an  admirable  speech.  It  was  quiet, 
but  emphatic.  Among  other  things,  he  said  that 
**the  more  immediate  cause  which  originated  this 
association  was  the  late  unanimous  refusal,  by  a 
large  majority  of  the  House  of  Commons,  to  remove 


1840]        PARLIAMENTARY  REFORM  93 

or  modify  the  iniquitous  tax  on  the  people's  food — a 
refusal  sullen,  unreasoning,  without  the  decency  of 
inquiry,  and  almost  without  the  formality  of  a 
debate."  He  pointed  out  the  g^reatest  of  social 
dangers  that  threatens  us — the  long,  unrelieved 
misery,  the  long,  unredeemed  wrongs,  which  divided 
society  into  hostile  classes,  each  by  open  violence 
and  wrong  struggling  to  preserve  their  own  selfish 
interests,  regardless  of  the  rights  of  others.  He 
concluded  by  stating  that  the  mode  by  which  the 
Society  proposed  to  proceed,  was  vigorous  and 
well-directed  agitation,  discussion,  and  support  of 
such  great  practical  measures  as  the  Repeal  of  the 
Corn  Laws,  National  Education,  Inquiry  into  the 
Condition  of  the  Working  Classes — all  in  reference 
to,  and  in  strict  subordination  to,  the  great  special 
object  of  Parliamentary  Reform. 

Mr  Hamer  Stansfeld  followed  in  a  vigorous  speech. 
Alderman  George  Goodman  —  afterwards  mayor 
and  representative  of  the  borough  in  Parliament 
— insisted  upon  cheap  and  equal  justice  for  all  classes 
of  the  community.  Councillor  Joshua  Bower,  Mr 
Joseph  Middleton,  barrister,  and  others  (of  whom  I 
was  one),  addressed  the  meeting ;  and  the  resolutions 
were  unanimously  adopted. 

I  was  afterwards  requested  to  act  as  Honorary 
Secretary,  and  wrote  the  first  address,  which  was 
issued  to  the  public.  In  that  address,  the  dis- 
proportionate representation  of  the  people  was 
strongly  pointed  out.  For  instance,  it  was  shown 
that  twenty-five  small  boroughs,  of  no  importance 
whatever,  sent  fifty  members  to  Parliament,  whilst 
Leeds,  with  20,000  more  population  than  all  these 
boroughs  combined,  sent  only  two.  It  was  the  same 
with  the  towns  and  cities  in  Ireland. 


94        EDITOE  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

Mr  Marshall  followed  this  up  with  other  addresses 
— one  to  Daniel  O'Connell  and  the  Repealers  of 
Ireland,  announcing  the  motto  of  ''Justice  for  each 
and  for  all" — and  arguing-  that  "the  people  should 
make  the  Government,  and  that  to  the  people  the 
Government  should  be  responsible  for  all  its  acts." 
By  these  publications,  and  especially  by  the  proposal 
to  have  a  conference  of  friends  of  the  movement  in 
Leeds,  a  considerable  amount  of  interest  was  excited 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  association.  When  it  became 
known  that  Hamer  Stansfeld  had  declined  the 
office  of  mayor  of  Leeds,  in  order  to  devote  himself 
more  effectually  to  the  work  of  the  association,  the 
editor  of  the  Leeds  Mercury — then  ably  conducted 
by  Mr  Edward  Baines,  junior  (afterwards  Sir 
Edward  Baines) — proceeded  to  address  him  in  a 
series  of  letters  in  opposition  to  the  movement,  which 
were  published  in  the  columns  of  that  paper  on  the 
2 1st  November,  and  12th  December,  1840;  and  the 
2nd  of  January  1841. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  go  at  any  length  into  the 
details  of  this  controversy.  But  it  may  be  briefly 
mentioned  that  Mr  Baines  opposed  the  proposed 
measures — Household  Suffrage,  The  Ballot,  Redis- 
tribution of  the  Representation,  Triennial  Parlia- 
ments, and  Absolution  of  the  Property  Qualification 
— on  the  grounds  principally  that  they  would  "let 
in  the  Tories" — that  they  would  "destroy  the 
influence  of  towns,"  "strengthen  the  aristocracy," 
and  "  perpetuate  the  Corn  Law."  The  pamphlet 
in  which  the  letters  were  afterwards  published,  bore 
this  argument  on  its  front.  Mr  Baines  held,  no  doubt 
truly,  that  a  great  portion  of  the  working  people  to 
whom  the  franchise  was  to  be  extended  ("perhaps  a 
majority  ")  could  not  write  their  own  names  ;  that  the 


1841]     CORN  LAWS  AND  SUFFRAGE         95 

measure  would  thus  be  transferring  power  from  the 
educated  to  the  uneducated  classes ;  and  that  the 
redistribution  of  the  suffrage  would,  by  including  so 
many  more  of  the  county  voters,  diminish  the 
ascendency  of  the  towns,  and  give  to  the  county 
population  *'an  immense  and  unassailable  preponder- 
ance." 

Mr  Hamer  Stansfeld  defended  himself,  also  in 
the  columns  of  the  Mercury ;  and  his  letters  were 
afterwards  published  in  a  pamphlet  form.  Mr 
Stansfeld  denied  the  justice  of  refusing  the  suffrage 
to  the  people  of  the  counties,  on  the  grounds  stated 
by  his  opponent.  He  would  trust  them,  and  believed 
that  the  Ballot  would  sufficiently  protect  them  in  the 
exercise  of  the  franchise.  Mr  Roebuck  also  gave 
an  admirable  lecture  before  the  association,  in  which 
he  clearly  and  brightly  illustrated  ''The  Science  of 
Government."  Later  the  controversy  became  merged 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  great  Suffrage  Festival, 
which  took  place  in  Messrs  Marshall's  new  mill  at 
Holbeck,  on  the  21st  of  January  1841. 

The  mill  had  just  been  erected,  and  was  not  yet 
supplied  with  machinery.  It  was  built  in  the  style 
of  an  Egyptian  temple,  with  an  immense  chimney 
like  an  elongated  pyramid.  The  great  roof  was 
supported  on  iron  pillars — there  being  grass  enough 
on  the  top  for  sheep  to  feed — and  the  room  itself 
covered  five  times  as  much  space  as  Westminster 
Hall,  extending  over  nearly  two  acres  of  ground.  It 
was  certainly  the  largest  room  in  the  world  ;  and  on 
this  occasion  was  densely  packed.  The  proceed- 
ings, on  account  of  the  heterogeneous  audience,  and 
the  frequent  bowlings  of  the  Chartists,  were  very 
confused. 

The  object  was  to  have  a  friendly  conference  with 


96        EDITOE  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

the  working  people,  and  to  exchange  thoughts  freely 
with  them  about  the  extension  of  the  franchise. 
Their  leaders  were  invited  to  be  present,  and  to 
address  the  meeting.  The  speakers  on  the  side  of 
the  Household  Suffrage  Association  were,  Mr  James 
Garth  Marshall,  the  Chairman,  Mr  Joseph  Hume, 
M.P.,  Sir  George  Strickland,  M.R,  Mr  John  Arthur 
Roebuck,  Mr  Sharman  Crawford,  Mr  Williams,  M.P., 
and  Col.  Perronet  Thompson  ;  and  on  the  part  of  the 
Chartists,  Messrs  Moir,  delegate  from  Glasgow, 
O'Neil  from  Birmingham,  Lowry  from  Newcastle, 
Mason  from  the  Midland  Counties,  and  Deegan  from 
Sunderland.  The  resolutions  were  passed,  some  of 
them  amidst  howling;  and  though  they  all  went  in 
the  direction  of  a  large  extension  of  the  franchise, 
the  speakers  differed  to  a  large  extent  with  respect 
to  the  various  '*  points"  of  the  Charter. 

Dan  O'Connell  was  expected  to  attend  the  meet- 
ing, in  which  case  the  Chartists  intended  to  shout  him 
down  ;  but  he  did  not  make  his  appearance  until  the 
following  day — when  there  was  a  conference  in  the 
Cloth  Hall  Rotunda  in  the  morning,  and  a  dinner  in 
the  evening — at  which  the  great  Dan  made  one  of  his 
best  speeches.  Hume,  Roebuck,  and  Col.  Thompson 
also  spoke. 

Although  the  Household  Suffrage  Association 
continued  its  operations,  and  started  a  Working 
Man's  Club  in  Albion  Street,  where  a  library  was 
established,  lectures  delivered,  and  discussions  held, 
nothing  came  of  the  movement.  It  was  like  flogging 
a  dead  horse  to  make  it  rise  and  go.  It  would 
neither  rise  nor  go.  After  the  lapse  of  two  or 
three  years,  the  association  expired  of  inanition. 
Another  movement  took  its  place,  and  the  rapidly 
growing    distress    compelled    the    country    to    take 


1841]  COERESPONDENCE  WITH  COBDEN  97 

into     consideration     the     question     of     the     Corn 
Laws. 

It  was  about  the  beginning  of  1841  that  I  had 
my  first  communication  from  Mr  Cobden.  He  had 
declined  to  attend  the  Household  Suffrage  meeting 
in  Marshall's  mill,  although  (he  said)  **the  principles 
so  ably  advocated  by  the  Leeds  Association  had 
always  had  his  humble  advocacy,  and  he  should 
continue,  individually,  to  give  them  all  the  support  in 
his  power,"  but  that  ''his  engagements  during  the 
next  month,  in  the  cause  of  Corn  Law  abolition, 
would  occupy  every  moment  of  his  leisure."  Shortly 
after,  a  communication  appeared  in  the  Anti-Corn- 
Law  Circular,  addressed  to  me  by  name,  in  which 
the  editor  virtually  assailed  the  attitude  taken  by  the 
Leeds  Suffrage  Reformers.  To  this  I  sent  a  letter 
in  reply,  requesting  its  insertion  in  the  Circular.  Mr 
Ballantyne,  who  was  then  the  editor,  handed  my 
letter  to  Mr  Cobden,  who  wrote  to  me,  request- 
ing me  not  to  press  for  the  insertion  of  my 
communication. 


He  said  :  ''  The  letter  In  the  Circular  addressed  to 
you,  expressly  draws  a  distinction  between  the 
readers  of  the  Star,  and  the  working  classes  gener- 
ally. Under  such  a  state  of  things  as  12,000  or 
15,000  copies  of  a  Chartist  paper  (insidiously  oppos- 
ing the  Anti-Corn- Law  Party)  selling  weekly  in 
Leeds,  It  was  merely  argued  that  that  was  a  proof  of 
the  necessity  for  advocating  the  Repeal  of  the  Corn 
Laws.  You  will  judge  whether  you  would  wish  your 
letter  to  appear.  I  think  it  would  be  hardly  fair,  and 
might  be  calculated  to  do  harm.  Why  should  we 
even  ai)pear  to  be  at  variance,  when  the  Anti-Corn- 
Law  Party,  and  rational  radicals  are  really  identically 
the  same  in  politics  ?  Our  only  difference  Is  as  to  the 
means  of  carrying  out  our  objects.  We  think  time 
must  be  regarded,   along  with  labour,  as  essential 

G 


98        EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

means  to  the  obtaining-  of  Corn  Law  Repeal,  and  are 
willing-  to  give  a  further  trial  of  both.  I  wish  the 
Leeds  A.  C.  L.  men  had  held  on  to  the  question 
for  a  year  or  two  more.  When  the  Whigs  go  out, 
then  will  be  the  time  for  a  new  combination  of  parties, 
with  a  chance  of  getting  some  aristocratic  leaders. 
Unhappily,  we  are  not  fit  to  run  alone  without  the 
g-uidance  of  the  latter.  By  the  way,  do  you  see 
Dans  abuse  of  the  Anti-Corn- Law  League  for  inter- 
fering with  the  Whigs  at  Walsall?  Observe,  too, 
that  he  says  in  the  same  speech,  that  he  is  for  Uni- 
versal Suffrage.  Although  joining  you,  he  is  prepar- 
ing for  a  retreat  upon  the  Charter.  The  artful 
dodg-er ! " 

The  Chartists  continued  their  uproarious  proceed- 
ings at  public  meetings.  It  became  almost  impossible 
to  hold  an  assemblage  on  any  subject  without  their 
interference.  They  were  especially  violent  ag"ainst 
the  Corn  Law  men,  assuming-  that  if  their  move- 
ment succeeded,  the  Chartists  would  be  nowhere. 
At  a  meeting  at  Deptford  in  April,  the  Chartists  were 
ejected  by  force  ;  but  at  a  meeting  in  the  Cloth  Hall 
at  Leeds  they  succeeded,  and  forced  the  mayor  from 
the  chair.  It  was  the  same  at  Edinburgh  and  else- 
where. 

In  the  face  of  the  increasing-  distress,  the  Whig 
Ministry  proposed,  in  May  1841,  to  revise  the  Corn 
Laws,  and  the  Premier  (Lord  Melbourne)  acknow- 
ledged that  he  had  ''changed  the  opinion  which  he 
formerly  held  —  g:rounded  as  that  opinion  was  on 
purely  temporary  interests. "  The  new  proposal  was  to 
fix  the  duty  on  wheat  at  8s.  a  quarter,  and  to  reduce 
the  duties  on  timber  and  sugar.  A  meeting  of  Leeds 
Delegates  was  held  on  the  7th  of  May  in  the  Rotunda 
of  the  Coloured  Cloth  Hall,  w^hen  it  was  resolved  to 
petition  Parliament  ''in  favour  of  the  abolition  of 
monopolies  generally,  and  especially  for  the  reduction 


1841]  ME  COBDEN  99 

of  the  sugar  and  timber  duties,  and  the  repeal  of  the 
Corn  Laws." 

Upon  this  Mr  Cobden  wrote  to  me  the  following- 
letter  : — 

"  Manchester,  Saturday. 

''  My  dear  Sir, — 

'*  I  fear  from  the  tenor  of  the  Merairy 
that  the  Anti-Corn- Law  deputies  will  be  preparing 
themselves  for  Monday  next  to  support  Ministers 
and  desert  our  League.  We  are  determined  in 
Manchester  to  stick  to  total  and  immediate  repeal, 
and  ^vherever  a  branch  association  drops  off  from  us, 
we  will  do  our  best  to  rear  up  another  in  its  place. 
The  proposal  to  unite  the  agitation  against  the 
timber  duties,  sugar  duties,  etc.,  will  be  a  virtual 
secession  from  our  League.  It  will  be  an  infringe- 
ment upon  the  rules,  which  restrict  us  exclusively  to 
the  subject  of  total  and  immediate  repeal.  My  object 
in  writing  is  to  beg  that  you  will  stand  up  for  us  at 
the  Monday's  meeting,  and  prevent  any  rupture.  I 
see  by  the  Mercury  that  Members  of  Parliament  and 
others  have  advised  us  to  enlarge  our  objects.  Yes ! 
%ve  are  very  troublesome  to  M.P.'s,  both  Whig  and 
Tory,  and  they  would  be  glad  to  turn  us  into  any- 
thing but  what  we  are.  They  know  if  we  become 
mere  tariff-reforfners  they  may  pass  muster — ^just  as 
Stanley,  Graham,  and  Co.,  passed  off  as  excellent 
Parliamentary  Reformers  before  the  Reform  Bill. 
But  when  we  come  to  the  test  of  Total  Repeal  of  the 
Bread  Tax,  they  can't  shuffle,  and  so  they  dislike  us, 
and  would  willingly  separate  us  from  one  another  to 
weaken  us. — Believe  me,  yours  faithfully, 

''Richard  Cobden." 

The  proposals  of  Ministers  were  lost  in  the  House 
of  Commons.  A  motion  by  Sir  Robert  Peel,  express- 
ing want  of  confidence  in  the  Ministry,  was  defeated 
by  a  majority  of  only  one.  A  succession  of  defeats 
at  length  compelled  them  to  resign,  and  Parliament 
was  dissolved  on  the  22nd  of  June  1841. 

W^e  were  now  in  for  a  new  election.     Mr  Baines 


100    EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

had  expressed  his  intention  of  not  offering  himself 
again  to  the  constituency ;  Sir  William  Molesworth 
had  lost  the  confidence  of  the  electors ;  and  it  was 
consequently  necessary  to  find  two  new  candidates. 
Probably  in  deference  to  the  Household  Suffrage 
Association,  Joseph  Hume  was  selected  as  the 
strongest  man ;  and  a  comparatively  unknown 
gentleman,  Mr  Aldam,  a  mild  Whig,  as  the  other. 
The  two  Tory  candidates  were  Mr  William  Beckett, 
the  well-known  banker,  and  Lord  Jocelyn. 

To  aid  in  the  election,  I  started  a  little  penny  paper 
entitled  The  Movement.  It  passed  through  four 
numbers.  In  the  first  I  gave  a  biography  of  Joseph 
Hume,  which  he  himself  said  was  exceedingly  well 
done  :  **he  did  not  know  how  I  could  have  picked  up 
so  many  facts  about  his  character  and  history."  A 
native  of  Montrose,  he  was  educated  as  a  surgeon — 
principally  through  the  efforts  of  his  mother,  who  was 
a  person  of  equally  strong  character  with  himself — 
and  went  out  to  India  In  the  service  of  the  East 
India  Company.  He  soon  displayed  his  extra- 
ordinary perseverance  and  capacity  for  labour. 
During  the  Mahratta  War,  he  was  with  Lord  Lake's 
army ;  and  in  the  bustle  of  the  camp,  and  while 
engaged  In  the  laborious  duties  of  his  profession,  he 
studied  the  language.  When  Colonel  Achmuty — at 
that  time  Interpreter  to  the  army — became  disabled, 
the  only  person  found  able  to  hold  communication 
with  the  natives  was  the  Indefatigable  surgeon  from 
Montrose,  who  was  immediately  promoted  to  the 
office  of  interpreter.  Besides  continuing  his  medical 
duties,  he  was  requested  to  fill  the  offices  of  Pay- 
master and  Postmaster  of  the  troops !  He  performed 
all  his  duties  with  such  activity  and  industry  as  to 
secure    for    him    the    marked    approbation    of   the 


1841]  JOSEPH  HUME  101 

Commander-in-Chief,  as  well  as  his  private  friend- 
ship. 

After  a  period  of  industrious  prosperity,  he 
returned  to  England.  He  travelled  through  Great 
Britain  ;  made  himself  acquainted  with  every  place 
of  manufacturing  celebrity  in  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland ;  then  he  travelled  abroad,  in  Spain  and 
Portugal,  Turkey,  Greece,  Egypt,  Italy,  and  France. 
By  the  temper  of  his  mind,  his  experience  and 
information,  his  habits  of  patient  industry  and 
research,  and  the  solidity  of  his  fortunes,  he  was  now 
well  able  to  fill  with  effect  a  seat  in  the  legislature 
of  his  country.  He  was  elected  for  Weymouth  in 
1 8 1 2 — three  years  before  the  battle  of  Waterloo. 

From  the  time  that  he  took  his  seat  in  Parliament, 
down  to  the  year  1841,  when  he  offered  himself  to 
the  Leeds  constituency,  Joseph  Hume  distinguished 
himself  by  his  Indefatigable  industry.  There  is 
scarcely  a  page  of  the  parliamentary  register  which 
does  not  contain  some  record  of  his  sayings  and 
doings.  In  the  finances,  the  revenue,  the  excise,  the 
public  accounts,  the  army  and  navy,  the  representation 
of  the  people,  the  removal  of  religious  disabilities,  he 
was  always  at  work.  He  was  the  most  regular 
attender,  the  most  consistent  voter,  the  most 
laborious  investigator,  the  most  active  and  useful 
member,  perhaps,  who  ever  sat  in  Parliament. 
Financial  questions  were  his  favourites.  Shortly 
after  he  entered  the  House,  he  found  that  the  public 
accounts  were  imperfect ;  and  that  frauds  to  an 
Immense  amount  might  be  (and  probably  were) 
committed  without  the  possibility  of  detection.  He 
was  defeated  again  and  again,  but  stuck  to  his  text. 
Attention  was  at  last  awakened ;  converts  came 
slowly  dropping  in  ;  and  in  1 822,  the  Select  Committee, 


ur^K; 


102     EDITOR  OF  THE  LEEDS  TIMES 

which  had  been  appointed  at  his  urgent  desire, 
reported  in  favour  of  his  method  of  so  preparing  the 
accounts,  that  the  true  balance  might  be  struck 
between  income  and  expenditure.  For  twenty 
years  more  he  continued  on  his  unpaid  mission, 
checking-  the  accounts,  and  advocating  all  manner 
of  improvements,  in  trade,  in  commerce,  in  reducing 
taxation,  and  in  extending  freedom.  And  now  he 
offered  himself  to  the  largest  manufacturing  town  in 
Yorkshire. 

But  he  was  not  good  enough  for  Leeds.  Mr 
William  Beckett,  an  able  man  no  doubt,  was  at  the 
top  of  the  poll;  Mr  Aldam  was  second;  and  Joseph 
Hume  third.  He  was  accordingly  defeated.  To 
show  the  pleasant  way  in  which  things  were  done  in 
the  North,  a  coffin  was  carried  in  front  of  the  hustings, 
which  was  openly  proclaimed  to  be  the  coffin  in  which 
Mr  Hume  was  to  be  buried.  He  was  not  buried, 
however,  but  lived  to  do  a  great  deal  of  useful  work. 
He  was  at  once  returned  to  Parliament  by  his  fellow 
townsmen  of  Montrose,  and  took  his  seat  as  usual. 
He  lived  to  see  the  end  of  the  Corn  Laws ;  and 
during  the  later  years  of  his  life,  he  devoted  his 
energies  to  throwing  open  public  places  —  the 
British  Museum,  National  Gallery,  the  Tower,  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  Westminster  Abbey,  Kew 
Gardens,  and  such  like — to  the  people  at  large.  It 
seemed  only  reasonable  that  they  should  be  per- 
mitted to  see  the  collections  maintained  by  the  public 
taxes.  Now,  thanks  to  the  persevering  tenacity  of 
Joseph  Hume,  they  were  at  length  enabled  to  enjoy 
the  sight  of  their  own  property.* 

*  I  have  endeavoured  to  bear  my  testimony  to  Mr  Hume's 
philanthropic  efforts  in  Self-Help,  pp.  115-117  ;  and  Z)«^,  pp.  317-320. 
I  wonder  that  no  Life  of  Joseph  Hume  has  been  pubHshed.  It  would 
form  a  fine  record  of  indefatigable  and  useful  perseverance. 


CHAPTER  IX 

LIFE   IN    LEEDS 

I  FOUND  a  great  deal  of  life,  industry,  and  energy 
among-  the  population  of  Leeds.  Although  trade  was 
bad,  and  they  had  much  misery  to  contend  with,  they 
were  anxious  to  help  themselves  by  all  conceivable  and 
rightful  methods.  Some  thought  that  politics  might 
help  them,  others  placed  their  reliance  on  co-operation. 
They  might  be  seen  groping,  perhaps  blindly.  In  the 
dark,  after  some  grand  principle,  which  they  thought 
would  lead  them  to  fresh  life,  and  liberty,  and  happi- 
ness. But  disappointments  too  often  befell  them. 
The  disposition  to  co-operate  together  for  mutual 
benefit  and  defence,  first  manifested  Itself  In  strikes 
and  combinations  —  its  most  imperfect  form. 
Although  these  efforts  were  for  the  most  part 
failures,  the  energy  they  displayed  was  nevertheless 
immense.  During  the  strikes  which  occurred  about 
1840  in  the  manufacturing  districts  —  Including 
Manchester,  Stockport,  Preston,  Bradford,  and 
Leeds — not  less  than  three  millions  sterling  in  wages 
had  been  virtually  thrown  away  by  the  working 
people.  Think  of  such  an  amount  of  capital  being 
expended  on  land,  buildings,  establishments  for  co- 
operative production,  or  on  the  means  of  physical, 
moral,   and    intellectual    improvement — what    great 

108 


104  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

results  might  not  have  been  anticipated  from  it !  At 
the  same  time,  this  union  of  efforts  showed  what  a 
great  moral  power  they  had  at  their  command  in 
their  beneficent  principle  of  co-operation. 

It  was  indeed  already  shown  in  the  matter  of 
benefit  societies.  I  became  a  member  of  the  Man- 
chester Unity  of  Oddfellows,  and  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Foresters.  Although  they  have  ''words" 
and  "signs,"  and  are  invested  with  some  show  of 
secrecy,  they  are  really  and  truly  societies  for  mutual 
benefit  and  support.  Not  fewer  than  8000  working 
men  of  Leeds  belonged  to  the  Manchester  Unity ; 
but  there  were  many  other  societies — Independent 
Oddfellows,  Gardeners,  Foresters,  Ancient  Druids, 
Order  of  the  Ark  and  of  the  Peaceful  Dove, 
the  Knights  Templar,  the  Ancient  Romans, 
Knights  of  Malta,  Loyal  Ancient  Shepherds 
and  Shepherdesses,  and  even  an  Order  of  Ancient 
Buffaloes!  Looking  at  the  number  of  members 
these  various  lodges  contained,  I  found  it  was 
quite  within  the  mark  to  calculate  that  the  work- 
ing people  of  Leeds  alone  subscribed  not  less 
than  ,^15,000  annually  for  mutual  assurance  against 
sickness  and  accident.  Ten  shillings  was  paid 
weekly  to  a  member  while  sick ;  medical  attendance 
was  also  provided  ;  /^lo  was  allowed  on  the  death  of 
a  member,  and  £s  to  the  widow,  if  the  deceased 
brother  was  married. 

With  these  objects  some  lodges  combined  schemes 
for  moral  and  intellectual  improvement.  They  formed 
libraries,  and  had  courses  of  instructive  lectures 
delivered  before  them.  Doubtless  there  were  imper- 
fections in  these  societies,  for  no  human  institution 
can  be  perfect ;  but  in  the  cultivation  of  friendly 
brotherhood,  and  in  the  practice  of  mutual  help,  they 


1841]      THE  SOCIALIST  MOVEMENT        105 

were  admirable  as  beginningfs.  They  were  managed 
on  the  whole  with  practical  and  business-like  sagacity. 
There  may  have  been  some  waste  ;  possibly  also,  full 
advantage  was- not  taken  of  the  organisation  which 
most  of  the  societies  displayed  ;  but  that  the  general 
result  was  most  improving  to  the  condition  of  the 
working  classes,  could  not  for  a  moment  be  called  in 
question.* 

There  was  another  movement  going  on  in  Leeds 
at  the  time  I  settled  there,  perhaps  of  a  more 
questionable  description.  At  the  same  time,  the 
persons  who  took  part  in  it  were  by  no  means  of  an 
unintelligent  character.  I  allude  to  the  Socialist 
movement.  Leeds,  like  other  large  towns,  had  a 
Socialist  Hall.  This  had  formerly  been  Walton's 
Music  Saloon,  in  East  Parade ;  and  it  was  after- 
wards taken  by  the  Mechanics  Institute.  But  when 
I  first  knew  it,  the  place  was  used  for  Socialist 
meetings  and  lectures.  I  went  there  occasionally 
to  see  what  was  done  and  said.  The  body  had 
preachers  or  lecturers  who  could  talk  cleverly  and 
well.  But  unfortunately,  they  mixed  up  a  great  deal 
of  atheism  with  their  views  of  co-operation.  It  was 
not  until  the  Revs.  Charles  Kingsley,  Frederick 
Denison  Maurice,  and  Edward  Larken,  developed  the 
practice  of  Christian  Socialism  that  the  co-operators 
were  dragged  out  of  this  frightful  pit. 

Robert  Owen  had  been  the  beginner  of  the  move- 
ment. He  held  that  in  the  competitive  system  was 
found  the  root  of  all  the  miseries  of  society.  He  pro- 
claimed the  negation  of  all  religious  belief  as  essential 

*  I  may  mention  that  I  afterwards  gave  a  full  account  of  these 
movements  in  the  Quarterly  Revietv.  See  articles,  No.  212,  October 
1859,  on  "Strikes,"  etc.;  No.  232,  October  1864,  on  "Workmen's 
Benefit  Societies." 


106  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

to  the  establishment  of  his  system.  His  doctrines  were 
economical,  metaphysical,  and  anti-theologfical.  The 
political  economy  of  Socialism  contemplated  nothing 
else  than  the  total  abolition  of  poverty.  Productive 
labour  was  not  to  be  required  of  any  one  after  the 
age  of  twenty-five.  Society  was  to  be  composed  of 
communities,  each  possessing*  land  sufficient  for  the 
support,  for  ever,  of  all  its  members.  The  philo- 
sopher's stone  was  a  child's  toy  compared  to  this 
arrangement. 

The  metaphysics  of  Socialism  were  comprised  in 
the  maxim  that  character  is  formed  for,  not  by,  the 
individual ;  and  that  society  may  so  arrange  "  circum- 
stances "  as  to  produce  whatever  character  it  pleases. 
Man's  active  agency  in  the  formation  of  his  character 
was  altogether  disallowed.  There  was  to  be  no 
religion  in  the  new  society.  "  Superior  external 
circumstances  alone  were  to  be  permitted  to  act  upon 
and  to  influence  each  individual  will."  The  only 
deity  recognised  by  Mr  Owen,  as  stated  in  his 
Outline  of  the  Rational  System  of  Society,  was  ''an 
incomprehensible  power  which  acts  in  and  through 
all  nature,  everlastingly  composing,  decomposing,  and 
recomposing  the  materials  of  the  universe."  Such 
was  his  idea  of  moral  sublimity.  One  had  better  be 
*'a  Pagan  suckled  in  a  creed  outworn,"  than  believe 
in  this  spinning  jenny  of  a  universe,  with  its  ''decom- 
posing and  recomposing." 

The  preachers  or  lecturers  at  the  Socialist  Hall 
did  their  best  to  illustrate  these  views.  They  would 
read  a  chapter  of  the  Bible,  mock  it,  and  raise  a  laugh 
at  it.  The  audiences  seemed  to  be  kept  together  by 
these  means.  Tom  Paine  was  the  writer  most 
quoted.  The  lecturers  were  varied  from  time  to  time. 
The   Socialists  here  borrowed  a  wrinkle  from  the 


1841]         CO-OPEKATIVE  SOCIETIES  107 

Wesleyan  Methodists :  they  went  from  circuit  to 
circuit.  Among  the  lecturers  I  heard,  were  Lloyd 
Jones  from  Wales,  Buchanan  from  Glasg-ow,  and 
Fleming-  from  Berwick-on-Tweed.  Their  principal 
business  was  to  preach  against  religion,  and  to  cut 
up  the  parsons.  At  the  same  time,  there  were  some 
practical  heads  amongst  them,  and  in  course  of  time 
lectures  were  delivered  upon  home  colonisation  and 
co-operation.  The  members  proceeded  to  collect 
money  for  the  purpose  of  buying  an  estate,  to  exhibit 
these  principles  in  active  operation.  They  did  collect 
enough  money  to  purchase  a  small  estate  in  Hamp- 
shire, called  Tytherly.  A  good  deal  of  money  was 
spent  on  building's  ;  but  after  a  few  years,  they  found 
they  could  not  make  the  place  yield  a  profit,  and  it 
came  to  grief.  The  estate  was,  I  believe,  eventually 
bought  by  Lord  Ashburton. 

But  their  efforts  in  co-operation  were  much 
more  successful.  Some  of  the  members  started 
an  Operative  Land  and  Building  Society,  others  a 
Redemption  Society.  They  bought  land,  erected 
dwellings,  built  mills,  and  by  clubbing  their  means, 
began  to  manufacture,  and  to  grind  corn  for  them- 
selves. Such  associations  were  conducted  under 
the  provisions  of  the  Friendly  Societies  Act,  and 
many  of  them  proved  very  successful.* 

But  to  return  to  the  political  movements  of  the 
time.  When  Parliament  met,  after  the  general 
election  of  1841,  it  was  found  that  the  Anti-Corn- 
Law  men  were  greatly  outnumbered.  In  the  debate 
on  the  Address,  Ministers  found  themselves  in  a 
minority  of  91,  in  a  House  of  629.  They  accordingly 
resigned ;  when  Sir  Robert  Peel  was  sent  for  by  the 
Queen,  and  undertook  to  construct  a  new  ministry. 

*  I  have  given  an  account  of  these  in  Thrifty  pp.  102-9. 


108  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

And  yet  this  was  the  Prime  Minister,  and  this  the 
House  of  Commons,  that  afterwards  abolished  the 
Corn  Laws. 

It  was  left  for  distress  to  do  the  work,  though  the 
Anti-Corn-Law  leaders  did  not  abate  their  efforts. 
Cobden  had  been  returned  for  Stockport,  and  was 
now  the  recognised  parliamentary  leader  of  the 
League.  He  made  his  maiden  speech,  which  was 
well  received ;  but  the  main  work  was  done  out  of 
doors.  Before  he  went  to  London,  to  take  his  seat 
in  Parliament,  he  sent  me  the  following  letter  : — 

"  Manchester,  3rd  August  1841. 

"My  dear  Sir, — 

''  Mr  Stansfeld  called  on  me  to-day,  and  I 
mentioned  to  him  how  important  it  is  that  the  great 
towns,  and  Leeds  in  the  number,  should  be  prepared 
to  hold  simultaneous  meetings  at  the  time  when  the 
Corn  Laws  become  the  practical  question  in  the  House 
of  Commons.  It  is  quite  clear  that  the  repeal  can 
not  be  carried  in  any  other  way  than  that  by  which 
the  Reform  Bill  and  the  Emancipation  of  the 
Catholics  were  wrung  from  the  Aristocracy.  The 
process  of  the  Registration  Courts  will  not  effect 
our  purpose^  unless  aided  by  the  masses.  In  fact, 
we  can't  wait  the  years  which  would  be  requisite 
to  turn  the  eighty  Tory  majority  into  a  rninority. 
Everything  then  depends  upon  our  securing  the 
hearty  co-operation  of  the  people,  and  this  can  only 
be  done  by  a  steady  perseverance  in  the  agitation  of 
the  question  as  a  bread  tax,  and  as  it  affects  the 
wages  of  labour.  Too  much  has  been  said  about 
the  interests  of  capitalists,  farmers,  and  landlords  ; 
and  too  little  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  rights  of 
labour.  The  process  of  enlightenment  is  slow  but 
sure,  if  we  treat  the  Corn  Law  as  a  Wages  question. 
This^  simplifies  the  matter,  and  gets  rid  of  all  the 
rubbish  about  the  protection  of  interests.  What 
protection  has  the  labourer  ? — should  be  the  Socratic 
mode  of  answering  any  argument  in  favour  of 
protecting  this  or  that  interest.     The  labourer  has 


1841]  ME  COBDEN'S  TACTICS  109 

no  legislative  protection  excepting-  the  Union  Work- 
house which  the  landlord,  farmer,  and  capitalist  may 
equally,  in  case  of  need,  enjoy. 

*'  But  I  am  arguing-  the  case,  when  I  merely 
wanted  to  urge  the  necessity  of  organising  ourselves 
for  the  conflict.  How  stands  Leeds  ?  Have  the 
Corn  Law  repealers  such  an  influence  that  you 
could  join  in  a  unanimous  demonstration  at  a  public 
meeting  against  the  bread  tax,  without  interference 
from  the  Chartists  or  Tories  ?  We  are  in  that  position 
here,  and  unless  the  other  large  towns  can  be  worked 
into  the  same  sound  state  we  shall  not  be  in  a 
situation  to  take  advantage  of  the  chapter  of  accidents 
during  the  ensuing  parliamentary  campaign,  or  in 
the  event  of  a  bad  harvest.  We  can  hope  nothing 
from  Parliament  unless  influenced  from  without.  In 
this  opinion,  the  best  of  our  friends  in  the  House 
concur.  When  in  London,  on  Friday  last,  I  met 
Villiers,  Warburton,  and  others  ;  and  in  talking  over 
the  future  tactics  of  the  Opposition  in  Parliament,  they 
expressed  a  very  decided  opinion  that  the  course  to 
be  pursued  indoors  must  depend  altogether  upon  the 
movement  in  the  North.  ^  I  very  much  fear  that  we 
are,  on  the  contrary,  looking  too  much  for  help  from 
the  House  of  Commons,  and  too  little  from  ourselves. 
The  whole  matter  lies  in  a  single  enquiry — Can  zve 
unite  ivith  the  people  around  us?  If  not,  the  game 
is  up,  and  we  deserve  no  pity  if  the  fate  of  the  house 
divided  against  itself  falls  upon  us.^  If  we  do  unite 
amongst  ourselves  now,  I  think  circumstances  are 
conspiring  to  lead  us  on  to  speedy  victory.  The 
Corn  Law  will  be  the  great  practical  question  of  the 
next  session.  Peel  will,  or  rather  may,  be  forced 
to  tamper  with  the  present  scale.  Then  will  be  the 
time  to  rouse  the  people  to  coerce  the  party  into  a 
full,  or  at  least  a  fair,  amelioration  of  the  law.  But 
we  must  be  preparing  now  for  the  occasion.  I  told 
you  long  ago  my  conviction  that  a  vast  amount  of 
ignorance  existed  even  in  Leeds  upon  the  subject 
of  the  Bread  Tax.  Did  not  the  late  election  convince 
you  that  I  was  right  ?  ^  That  ignorance  still  remains, 
and  you  must  remove  it  ere  you  can  rouse  the  people 
into  zealous  action.  I  shall  only  add,  that  no  other 
question  but  that  of  Corn  Law  Repeal  and  Free 
Trade  will  take  practical  hold  of  the  public  mind 


110  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

during^  the  next  session.  I  mean  that  the  suffrage 
extension  question  is  not  at  present  a  practical  one. 
Nothing"  definite  on  the  subject  is  before  the  electoral 
body,  as  a  body.  Is  not  the  agitation  of  the  question 
a  waste  of  power  now  ?  And  will  it  not  be  in  fact 
best  forwarded  by  sticking  to  the  Corn  Law,  which 
is  as  democratic  as  the  most  ultra  Chartist  can  desire. 
Go  then  incessantly  for  total  and  immediate  repeal 
of  the  Bread  Tax.  Rouse  young  and  old — rich  and 
poor— -men  and  women,  to  action,  by  pressing  home 
the  injustice,  the  wickedness,  the  foul  impiety,  of  the 
starvation  law.      Ever  yours  truly, 

"  R.  COBDEN." 


I  quote  this  and  the  following  letters  of  Mr 
Cobden  to  show  the  intense  active  interest  which  he 
took  in  the  question  he  had  taken  in  hand.  If  he 
wrote  such  letters  to  me — a  comparatively  unknown 
person,  both  as  regards  position  and  influence — what 
must  he  not  have  done  to  others  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  who  possessed  a  much  greater  amount  of 
both.  He  continued  to  urge  the  necessity  of  union  of 
parties  against  the  Bread  Tax. 

After  Parliament  had  been  prorogued,  Mr  Cobden 
wrote  to  me  again,  on  the  subject  of  a  proposed  con- 
ciliatory meeting  in  Leeds,  which  Colonel  Thompson 
was  to  attend.     In  this  letter,  he  said  : — 

''  I  have  never  found  good  to  come  out  of  formal 
attempts  at  reconciliation  with  the  leaders  of  the 
Chartist  party.  In  fact,  we^  have  long  ago  given  up 
the  attempt  to  compromise  matters  with  these 
worthies,  and  have  rather  preferred  to  work  up  a 
party  of  Corn  Law  repealers^  independent  of  the  old 
leaders.  This  requires  laborious  effort  on  the  part  of 
one  or  two  middle  class  men,  but  they  must  not  be 
obnoxious  as  politicians  to  the  Chartists.  With 
proper  exertions  you  will  be  sure  of  success.  I  must 
reiterate  my  old  song — ^^the  people  are  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten  profoundly  ignorant  of  the   nature  and 


1841]   THE  LEAGUE  AND  CHARTISTS      111 

effects  of  the  Bread  Tax.  I  have  never  been  able 
to  join  in  the  unmeasured  censures  of  the  working- 
class  which  I  occasionally  hear  from  my  friends. 
The  fault  lies  in  the  apathy  of  the  middle  class. 
When  the  latter  are  fairly  up,  the  working-  class 
instinctively  fall  into  their  places  as  the  allies  of  the 
middle  man." 

Nevertheless,  our  public  meeting  was  held.  It 
was  summoned  by  the  Parliamentary  Reform  Asso- 
ciation which  still  continued  to  exist.  The  meeting 
was  held  in  the  large  room  of  the  Commercial  build- 
ings, and  was  full  to  overflowing.  The  Chartists  were 
present  in  great  numbers,  and  the  meeting  was  occa- 
sionally a  scene  of  great  uproar  and  confusion. 
Colonel  Thompson,  Mr  Jelinger,  C.  Symons,  and 
others  spoke ;  and  Dr  Lees,  the  Temperance  Advo- 
cate, who  on  this  occasion  appeared  on  the  side  of 
the  Chartists,  addressed  the  meeting.  The  occasion 
was  distinguished  by  an  excellent,  manly  speech 
from  Mr  James  Garth  Marshall,  the  chairman,  who 
never  spoke  more  admirably  nor  acquitted  himself 
better.  But  as  a  whole  the  meeting  was  a  failure. 
Nobody  was  conciliated,  and  everything  went  on  as 
before.  Mr  Cobden  then  addressed  to  me  the  follow- 
ing remarkable  letter  : — 

"  Leamington,  21st  October  1841. 

**  My  dear  Sir, — 

"There  is  nothing  that  is  more  un- 
toward than  your  present  state  in  Leeds.  At  the 
very  time  when  we  want  a  complete  phalanx  for  the 
crowning  struggle  against  Monopoly,  you  are  broken 
into  sections  waging  war  against  each  other.  In 
looking  back  to  your  past  position — three  years  ago, 
when  you  could  hold  great  and  unanimous  meetings 
upon  the  Corn  Law — I  fear  you  are  in  a  worse 
dilemma  just  now  than  at  any  former  period  of  the 
Corn  Law  agitation. 


112  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

"  I  confess  when  I  think  of  the  materials  you  have 
had  to  work  with  in  Leeds,  compared  with  ours  in 
Manchester,  I  cannot  acquit  you  of  having  made  a 
very  bad  use  of  them.  In  almost  every  respect  Leeds 
stood  better  than  Manchester  three  years  ago,  or 
even  later.  ^  The  Leeds  Mercury  sided  with  the 
League,  whilst  the  Manchester  Guardian  was,  up  to 
the  Whig  dissolution,  the  bitter  and  malignant  foe  to 
our  out-and-out  agitation  in  Manchester.  It  is  no 
compliment  to  you  to  say  that  the  Leeds  Times  is 
immeasurably  superior  to  its  Manchester  namesake. 
So  much  for  the  Whig  and  Radical  press. 

''As  for  Men,  we  have  not  one  of  the  standing  of 
Mr  Marshall,  possessing  his  moral  courage,  right- 
mindedness,  and  liberality.  We  have  not  one  pos- 
sessing the  never  failing  generosity,  and  the  talent 
(judging  him  by  his  controversy  with  Mr  Baines)  of 
Mr  Stansfeld. 

''Then  for  the  people  to  lead.  You  had  an 
orderly  community,  quite  an  example,  at  your  public 
meetings,  for  intelligence  and  good  behaviour.  Man- 
chester, on  the  contrary,  had  not  for  eight  years  been 
able  to  call  a  public  meeting  on  any  political  question. 
The  huge  factories  of  the  Cotton  district,  with  three 
thousand  hands  under  one  capitalist,  give  to  our  state 
of  society  the  worst  possible  tone,  by  placing  an  im- 
passable gulf  between  master  and  operative. 

"Such  was  your  condition  and  such  ours  when 
we  began  the  Anti-Corn- Law  agitation.  The  ques- 
tion now  is — why  does  the  cause  stand  so  well  in 
Manchester,  and  why  so  adversely  In  Leeds  ?  I  can 
attribute  it  to  no  other  reason  than  that  It  has  been 
worked  Incessantly  in  the  former  place,  apart  alto- 
S^ether  from  party  politics. 

"The  work  has  been  done  by  a  very  few,  so  few 
that  we  have  been  the  laughing-stock  even  of  our- 
selves, as  we  sat  and  chuckled  over  the  splutter  we 
were  making  In  the  name  of  The  League!  You 
have  not  an  Idea  how  Insignificant  a  body  the  work- 
ing members  of  The  League  really  comprise.  Still 
we  worked.  When  we  could  not  hold  public  meetings 
we  got  up  little  hole  and  corner  meetings.  Two 
years  and  a  half  ago,  we  called  a  public  meeting. 
The  Chartist  leaders  attacked  us  on  the  platform  at 
the  head  of  their  deluded  followers.     We  were  nearly 


1841]  COBDEN'S  ADVICE  113 

the  victims  of  physical  force.  I  lost  my  hat,  and  all 
but  had  my  head  split  open  with  the  leg  of  a  stool. 
In  retaliation  for  this,  we  deluged  the  town  with 
short  tracts  printed  for  the  purpose.  We  called 
meetings  of  each  trade,  and  held  conferences  with 
them  at  their  own  lodges.  We  found  ready  listeners, 
and  many  secret  allie/>,  even  arnongst  the  Chartists. 
We  resolutely  abstained  from  discussing  the  Charter 
or  any  other  party  question.  We  stuck  to  our 
subject,  and  the  right-minded  amongst  the  working- 
men  gave  us  credit  for  being  in  earnest,  which  is  all 
that  is  necessary  to  secure  the  confidence  of  the 
people. 

*'  Our  strength  grew,  and  the  result  is  that  we  can 
now  hold  a  public  meeting  at  any  moment.  Nay : 
the  repealers  carried  the  war  into  the  Chartist  camp 
on  Monday  last  (see  Wednesday's  Guardian)  by 
upsetting  their  meeting  in  retaliation  for  their  inter- 
ruption of  the  meeting  at  the  Corn  Exchange,  at 
which  Colonel  Thompson  was  present.  We  shall 
work  on  in  Manchester,  for  much  remains  to  be 
done. 

''Why  do  I  go  over  our  exploits?  Not  for 
egotistical  display.  We  have  done  no  more  than  our 
duty :  but  simply  to  give  you  the  assurance  that 
everything  may  be  done  in  Leeds  by  working  perse- 
veringly  in  the  cause  of  Corn  Law  repeal.  But  you 
are  right  in  saying  that  the  agitation  must  be 
separated  from  the  plans  of  political  parties.  May 
not  your  Young  Men's  Anti-Monopoly  Society — 
aided  by  the  presence  of  ministers — tend  to  rescue 
the  question  from  the  contamination  of  party  ? 

'*  I  cannot  go  at  length  into  my  reasons  for 
thinking  that  the  only  chance  open  to  such  as  you 
and  me  for  effecting  any  amelioration  in  the  condition 
of  the  people,  is  by  adhering  to  the  advocacy  of 
practical  reform  rather  than  attempting  organic 
changes.  ^  I  am  strongly  of  opinion  that  unless 
cornmercial  reform  be  effected  before,  lon^  before, 
political  reform  can  be  carried,  this  country  will  have 
received  its  death  warrant  at  the  hands  of  the 
aristocracy.  We  are  much  nearer  the  accomplish- 
ment of  tariff  reform  than  of  organic  change.  Public 
opinion  has  decreed  the  one,  whilst  there  is  scarcely 
an  organised  public  movement  for  the  other. 

H 


114  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

"  Let  us  work,  then,  for  the  practical  gfood,  giving 
all  possible  countenance  and  help  to  the  advance  of 
political  reform.     Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

"R.    COBDEN." 

The  wisdom  embodied  in  this  letter  may  be  judged 
by  the  after  result  of  the  movement.  Although  no 
public  meeting  was  held  during  the  later  part  of  184 1 
on  the  subject  of  the  Corn  Laws,  a  much  more 
important  investigation  took  place.  This  was  the 
appointment  by  the  operatives  of  Leeds  of  an 
Enumeration  Committee,  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  number  of  unemployed  persons  in 
the  borough,  and  the  extent  of  the  distress  from 
which  they  were  suffering  from  want  of  employ- 
ment. The  principal  person  who  had  to  do  with  the 
initiation  of  this  committee  was  James  Rattray,  an 
operative  stuff  printer,  who  consulted  me  on  the 
subject.  James  Speed,  a  handloom  weaver,  was  also 
connected  with  it.  Rattray  acted  as  secretary,  and 
Speed  as  the  chairman  of  the  committee.  The 
whole  proceedings  were  conducted  by  the  working 
people  themselves.  On  several  occasions  I  accom- 
panied the  enumerators  when  making  their  visits, 
and  I  witnessed  many  sad  sights.  Men,  women,  and 
children  **  clamouring"  for  food — willing  to  work,  but 
with  no  work  to  do ;  not  angry,  not  furious,  at  the 
laws  which  kept  them  idle ;  but  patient,  long-suffering, 
and  very  helpless.  This  was  the  time  when  a  dis- 
tinguished and  compassionate  person,  hearing  of  the 
existence  of  distress  in  the  manufacturing  districts, 
recommended  the  operative  classes,  who  were  suffer- 
ing from  hunger,  to  take  an  occasional  pinch  of  curry 
powder  in  a  little  water  to  allay  the  craving  for  food. 
What  these  poor  creatures  wanted  was,  not  curry, 
but  bread,  not  warm  water,  but  mutton  and  beef 


1841]  DISTEESS  IN  LEEDS  115 

The  results  of  the  inquiry  were  remarkable.  It 
was  ascertained  by  personal  visitation,  that  out  of 
4752  families  examined,  consisting^  of  19,936  indi- 
viduals, only  3780  persons  were  in  work,  while  16,156 
were  out  of  work  ;  and  that  the  average  earnings  per 
head  amounted  to  only  11  id.  weekly  for  each  indi- 
vidual. Distress  continued  to  increase  all  over  the 
West  Riding-.  The  position  of  the  handloom  weavers 
was  especially  distressing.  Three  months  later, 
16,000  individuals  were  on  the  books  of  the  Leeds 
Workhouse  as  receiving  parochial  relief  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  10,000  persons  had  received  relief  from 
a  fund  of  £7000  raised  by  voluntary  subscrip- 
tion. Meetings  were  held  to  "make  known  the 
unparalleled  distress  which  prevailed  in  the  borough, 
and  the  gradual  decay  of  trade  consequent  thereon," 
and  more  money  was  collected  for  the  relief  of  the 
sufferers.  From  the  Manufacturers  Relief  Com- 
mittee in  London,  ;^500  was  also  obtained  for  the 
relief  of  the  Leeds  poor.  It  may  be  mentioned  that 
at  the  beginning  of  August  1841,  wheat  was  quoted 
at  86s.  the  quarter. 

All  this  was  steadily  working  for  the  repeal  of  the 
bread  tax.  Cobden  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of 
the  situation.  He  summoned  together  a  meeting  of 
ministers  of  every  denomination  at  Manchester,  to 
consider  the  condition  of  the  labouring  classes.  They 
were  650  in  number ;  their  proceedings  were  con- 
ducted with  great  order ;  but  they  did  not  fail  to 
protest  against  the  Corn  and  Provision  Laws. 
Resolutions  were  carried,  unanimously  approving  of 
their  abolition.  Then  an  Anti-Corn-Law  Bazaar 
was  held  in  Manchester,  at  which  about  ;^i  0,000 
was  collected  by  the  sale  of  goods,  for  the  support  of 
the  League.     It  was  not  merely  the  working  people 


116  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

who  suffered.  Mills  were  being  closed  in  all  the 
manufacturing-  districts ;  bankruptcies  were  increas- 
ingly numerous ;  and  thousands  of  operatives  were 
reduced  to  a  state  of  pauperism.  Cobden,  though  he 
saw  his  prophecies  being  fulfilled,  was  by  no  means 
over-sanguine.  Let  me  give  another  of  his  letters,  to 
show  his  views  at  this  time.  The  first  part  of  his 
communication,  it  will  be  observed,  relates  to  a 
matter  entirely  different  from  the  chief  subject  of  his 
thoughts. 

"  Leamington,  tth  November  1841., 

"My  dear  Sir, — 

''An  aunt  of  mine  sojourning  here,  who  is 
'  great '  in  theology,  and  deeply  versed  in  Evangelism, 
Voluntaryism,  Puseyism,  and  all  the  other  isms,  has 
been  much  edified  by  the  perusal  of  your  account  of 
a  certain  pipe  in  Dr  Hook's  church  for  carrying  the 
remains  of  the  sacred  elements  into  consecrated 
ground  ;  and  her  conscience,  or  rather  her  curiosity,  is 
so  much  troubled  that  I  have  promised  to  ascertain 
if  it  be  a  veritable  account,  or  only  a  wicked 
invention  of  a  witty  editor.  Pray,  therefore,  oblige 
me  with  a  line  by  return  to  this  place,  that  I  may 
settle  her  pious  longings  upon  the  momentous 
affair.* 

"What  an  ominous  lull  there  is  in  the  public 
mind !     Political  opinion  seems  for  the  moment  to  be 

*  In  March  1841  the  Chartists  elected  working  men  as  church- 
wardens at  Leeds.  Some  of  them  were  dissenters.  It  happened 
that  the  excellent  vicar,  Dr  Hook,  was  at  that  time  very  much  given 
to  High  Churchism.  He  had  a  piscina  provided  in  the  New  Parish 
Church,  such  as  is  used  in  Roman  Catholic  churches,  when  the  priest 
rinses  the  chalice  or  pours  away  the  remains  at  the  celebration  of  the 
Mass.  This  piscina  consisted  of  a  shallow  stone  basin  with  a  pipe  or 
drain  leading  directly  to  the  consecrated  ground  outside  the  building. 
Whether  by  accident  or  design,  this  pipe  became  choked  up  with  lime, 
so  that  the  wine  poured  into  the  basin  accumulated  there,  and  could 
not  get  away ;  hence  the  necessity  for  repairs,  and  the  paragraph  in 
the  local  paper. 


1841]  LEAGUE  AND  POLITICAL  PAETIES  117 

at  a  deadlock.  It  can't  be  denied  that  we  are 
plunged  into  the  profoundest  apathy  upon  the  subject 
of  parties.  The  Whigs  are  just  as  unpopular  as  the 
Tories — nay,  rather  more  so — and  is  there  any  other 
party  even  in  embryo?  As  for  leaders,  the  masses 
have  just  as  much  love  for  Peel  as  for  Russell ;  and  I 
very  much  fear  that  the  old  radical  leaders  are 
damaged  past  redemption.  Hume,  Grote,  and  War- 
burton,  and  their  followers,  might  have  constituted  a 
party  five  years  ago,  but  they  have  since  been 
drummed  through  Coventry  at  the  heels  of  '  finality ' 
Lord  John,  and  are  now  suffering  the  penalty.  I  had 
hoped  that  Roebuck  would  have  taken  the  fullest 
advantage  of  his  fortunate  exemption  from  this 
ordeal.  His  four  years  parliamentary  quarantine 
gave  him  great  advantage  at  the  late  sitting  of 
Parliament.  I  am  afraid  the  country  will  think  with 
me  that  he  has  not  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities. 
The  opposition  to  Sharman  Crawford's  motion,  and 
his  personal  affair  with  the  Times,  were  mistakes ; 
and  mistakes,  even  with  honest  intentions,  are  too 
severely  scrutinised  nowadays  to  be  committed  by  a 
leader  without  serious  injury  to  his  reputation.  His 
indiscretions  have,  I  suspect,  impaired  public  confi- 
dence in  Radical  leaders.  Wakley's  conduct  in  the 
House  has  very  much  increased  this  feeling.  ^  And 
the  truth  must  be  allowed  to  be  told — we  are  without 
political  leadership.  Parties  in  the  House  and  out  of 
it  are  chaotic,  and  will,  I  suspect,  continue  to  be  so 
for  some  time  to  come. 

*'  In  the  meantime,  all  we  can  hope  for  is  to 
educate  the  public  mind  on  practical  questions, 
inoculate  the  people  with  sound  principles  of  political 
economy,  draw  them  from  the  worship  of  men  to  the 
admiration  of  abstract  truths,  and  thus  prepare  them 
to  take  advantage  of  the  chapter  of  accidents.  When 
I  was  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Stockport 
Mechanics  Institute  a  few  days  ago,  I  promised  a 
prize  for  the  best  essays  on  Machinery,  and  on 
Capital  and  Labour,  Couldn't  you  give  a  hint  of 
this  kind  to  Mr  Marshall? 

"  You  will  see  that  we  are  going  to  have  a  meeting 
of  deputies  in  Manchester  on  the  17th,  to  concoct 
plans  for  the  winter.  We  shall  thus  ascertain  in 
Manchester  what  are  the  feelings  in  different  parts  of 


118  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

the  king-dom.  I  am  told  from  all  sides  that,  unless  we 
do  something-,  i.e.,  strike  a  blow,  we  shall  lose  public 
confidence.  What  can  we  do  ?  There  is  always 
danger  of  being  rnade  ridiculous  by  showing  one's 
teeth  before  one  is  able  to  bite.  If  w^e  were  to 
attempt  a  coup,  and  it  were  to  fail  like  the  Chartist 
sacred  holiday,  we  should  be  laughed  at  for  ever. 
Should  some  practical  measures  not  be  speedily 
carried,  they  will  come  too  late ;  and  what  rational 
man  can  say  that  we  are  in  a  fair  way  for  doing 
anything  very  soon? 

''Still,  what  more  can  we  do?  At  least  we  are 
not  standing  in  the  way  of  a  more  hopeful  movement ; 
for,  of  the  three  questions  that  now  agitate  the  people 
— Repeal  of  Corn  Law,  Repeal  of  Union,  and 
Charter — I  can't  help  thinking  that  our  question 
stands  in  the  place  of  the  favourite  in  the  public 
mind.  Bad  is  the  prospect,  even  of  the  best ;  but  so 
long  as  there  is  no  better  to  which  to  resign  the 
course,  we  must  work  away  with  whip  and  spur, 
keeping  our  head  steadily  towards  the  far-distant 
winning  post. 

"My  opinion  is  every  day  strengthened,  that  we 
must  not  seek  official  alliance  with  Chartists  or  any 
other  party.  The  leaders  of  the  Anti-Corn- Law 
party  ought  to  take  every  opportunity  of  avowing 
their  syrnpathy  as  individuals  for  the  Suffrage  men  ; 
but  any  formal  coalition  is  unwise  and  unpracticable. 
Many  of  the  Chartists,  as,  for -instance,  O'Connor 
and  Colonel  Napier,  have  their  own  views  upon 
Corn  Laws,  which  must  prevent  their  joining  us  ; 
and  this  ought  to  satisfy  every  honest  man  of  their 
party  that  it  would  be  quite  impossible  for  the  two 
bodies  to  coalesce.  We  must  insist  upon  our  right 
to  carry  on  an  independent  agitation,  and  if  the 
hired  knaves  who  interrupt  our  meetings  persevere, 
we  must  harass  them  out  in  their  own  way.  Our 
Manchester  operative  Anti-Corn- Law  men  have 
declared  the  lex  talionis  in  force,  even  to  sticks  and 
stones  ;  and  so  formidable  was  their  preparation  for 
the  last  meeting,  that  the  Feargus  ^  men  did  not 
venture  even  to  lift  their  voices  in  opposition. 
Indeed,  I  am  told  that,  since  that  evening,  their 
committee  have  passed  a  resolution  against  further 
interference.      But   I   have  no   faith  in   those  who 


1842]      SIR  R.  PEEL'S  GOVERNMENT       119 

follow  the  '  Star '  excepting  in  their  weakness. 
They  are,  after  all,  contemptible  in  numbers. — Yours 
very  truly,  R.  Cobden." 


At  length  the  new  ministry  met  the  House  of 
Commons.  The  Queen  opened  Parliament  in  person 
on  the  3rd  of  February  1842.  In  the  royal  speech, 
she  acknowledged,  ''with  deep  regret,  the  continued 
distress  in  the  manufacturing  districts  of  the  country," 
admitting-  that  the  sufferings  and  privations  which 
had  resulted  from  it  ''had  been  borne  with 
exemplary  patience  and  fortitude,"  and  recom- 
mended to  the  consideration  of  both  Houses  "the 
laws  which  affect  the  imports  of  corn  and  other 
articles." 

Mr  William  Beckett,  one  of  the  members  for 
Leeds,  moved  the  address.  Sir  Robert  Peel  is  said 
to  have  selected  him  on  account  of  the  condition  of 
the  Leeds  operatives,  and  more  particularly  because 
of  the  Report  of  the  Enumeration  Committee.  Mr 
Rattray,  the  operative  stuff  printer,  who  initiated 
that  movement,  afterwards  wrote  to  me  as  follows, 
when  settled  in  Glasgow: — "There  is  no  retrospec- 
tive incident  which  affords  me  more  real  gratification 
than  the  fact  that  Mr  William  Beckett  informed 
myself  and  Mr  Speed,  that  it  was  our  report  which 
induced  Sir  Robert  Peel  to  select  him  to  move  the 
address  at  the  opening  of  the  session  of  1842,  when 
the  Tariff  wedge  was  put  in  that  was  to  dislocate 
the  entire  fabric  of  monopoly  ;  and,  as  I  have  never 
forgotten  the  valuable  and  hearty  assistance  which 
you  personally  and  by  the  Times  rendered  to  that 
committee,  I  have  taken  the  first  favourable 
opportunity  to  express  my  sense  of  your  worth  as  a 
gentleman ;    and   I   trust    that    in    a    personal    and 


120  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

literary  sense,  you  will  not  chide  me,  nor  object  to 
the  original  style  of  my  dedication."  * 

Sir  Robert  Peel  introduced  his  new  measures  on 
the  gth  of  February.  A  total  repeal  of  the  Corn 
Law,  he  said,  would  add  ag"ricultural  to  manufactur- 
ing- distress,  and  he  thought  it  well  to  be  independent 
of  foreign  countries  for  bread.  He  accordingly 
proposed  the  new  sliding'  scale  of  corn  duties,  with 
numerous  amendments  in  the  tariff.  The  altera- 
tions in  the  Corn  Law  did  not  satisfy  Mr  Cobden  : 
he  denounced  the  scheme  as  an  insult  to  a  suffering 
people.  It  met  with  no  better  success  in  the  north, 
where  it  was  generally  denounced.  It  unsettled 
everything,  and  settled  nothing.  Thousands  of 
meetings  were  held,  and  thousands  of  petitions  were 
sent  in  to  Parliament.  Nevertheless,  the  ministers 
carried  their  measure  by  a  large  majority.  Cobden 
went  back  to  the  country,  to  rouse  not  only  the 
manufacturing  but  the  agricultural  classes  against 
the  Corn  Laws.  Meanwhile,  an  alarming  outbreak 
occurred  in  the  manufacturing  districts,  which  at 
one  time  threatened  to  assume  the  form  of  an 
insurrection. 

Southey  once  said  that  **the  nation  that  builds 
upon  manufactures  sleeps  upon  g-unpowder."  The 
events  in  progress  seemed  to  prove  the  truth  of  the 
statement.  The  working  people  had  become  restless. 
They  had  long  been  promised  a  ''sacred  month"  by 
Feargus  O'Connor.  It  had  been  postponed  from 
month  to  month ;  and  now  they  were  about  to  take 
the  matter  into  their  own  hands.  Some  of  the 
poorer  loom  weavers  at  Staley bridge  who  were 
unemployed,  or  on  strike,  compelled  all  other  branches 

*  The  truth  is,  that  after  Mr  Rattray  left  Leeds,  he  travelled  about 
the  world  a  good  deal,  and  wrote  a  book,  which  he  dedicated  to  me. 


1842]  THE  ^^ SACKED  MONTH"  121 

of  trade  in  the  town  to  follow  their  example.  Most 
of  the  principal  towns  in  Lancashire  caught  the  con- 
tagion, and  all  the  factory  district  became  suddenly  idle. 
The  **  sacred  month,"  in  which  nobody  was  to  work, 
had  at  last  begun.  Crowds  of  men  and  women  went 
from  place  to  place,  stopping  the  mills,  and  turning 
out  the  working  people.  It  was  comparatively  easy 
to  do  this.  The  knowing  hands,  getting  access  to 
the  boiler  of  the  factory  steam  engine,  and  forcing  in 
the  plugs,  caused  the  water  to  escape  over  the  flames 
in  the  furnace.  The  fire  was  extinguished ;  the 
steam  engine  stopped ;  and  the  hands  turned  out. 
In  many  cases  valuable  machinery  was  destroyed. 

The  contagion  spread.  By  the  middle  of 
August  crowds  of  unemployed  factory  people  surged 
into  Yorkshire.  They  came  by  the  roads  leading 
over  Blackstone  Edge,  down  towards  Huddersfield 
and  Halifax.  Leeds  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  great 
excitement.  The  magistrates  issued  30,000  staves  for 
the  use  of  special  constables.  The  police  buckled 
cutlasses  to  their  sides,  and  several  thousand  extra 
men  were  sworn  in.  In  hot  haste,  a  dispatch  was 
sent  to  the  Horse  Guards  for  military :  and  one  fine 
evening  in  August,  the  32nd  Regiment  of  Infantry, 
a  fine  body  of  men,  arrived  from  Weedon,  and  went 
marching  up  Briggate  to  the  tune  of  ''All  is  lost 
now"  from  Sonnambula.  Prince  George  of  Cam- 
bridge was  also  in  the  town,  at  the  head  of  a  detach- 
ment of  Lancers,  and  a  troop  of  Horse  Artillery  with 
their  field  pieces. 

By  this  time,  the  manufacturing  towns  in  West 
Yorkshire  were  the  scene  of  riotous  proceedings. 
Boiler  plugs  were  forced  in,  and  thousands  of  unem- 
ployed crowded  the  streets  of  Dewsbury,  Halifax, 
Holmforth,  and  Bradford.     A  remarkable  sight  was 


122  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

to  be  seen  in  Sklrcoates  Moor,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Halifax.  About  fifteen  thousand  ''turn-outs" 
assembled  there,  passed  resolutions  in  favour  of  the 
People's  Charter,  and  spent  the  night  on  the  purple 
heather  of  the  moor.  They  consisted  of  men,  women, 
and  children.  1 1  was  a  sad  sig-h t.  The  greater  number 
of  them  were  arranged  in  circular  groups,  and  as 
night  fell,  they  sang  Chartist  songs.  The  women 
were  especially  excited.  Some  prisoners  had  been 
taken,  and  they  exclaimed,  ''If  we  vvor  men,  they 
wudn't  be  long  there  " — that  is,  in  the  police  station. 
Others  said,  "Ye're  soft,  if  ye  don't  fetch  'em  out 
to-neet." 

The  women  entered  Halifax  on  the  following  day 
almost  at  the  head  of  the  mob.  When  they  reached 
the  North  Bridge,  where  the  military  were  drawn  up 
to  oppose  their  progress,  numbers  of  women  sprang 
forward  and  seized  the  horses'  bridles  to  turn  them 
aside,  exclaiming  to  the  soldiers,  "You  wouldn't 
hurt  women,  would  you ! "  One  of  the  infantry 
presented  his  bayonet  to  a  woman  ;  she  put  it  aside 
and  said,  "No,  no!  we  want,  not  bayonets,  but 
bread."  The  whole  scene  reminded  one  of  the 
French  Revolution,  which,  in  the  language  of  Burke, 
arose  "amid  the  fierce  cries  and  violence  of  women." 

The  crowd  surged  onward  to  Bradford,  and  then 
to  Leeds.  On  the  morning  of  the  17th,  the  report 
reached  the  town  that  a  number  of  rioters  were  on 
the  road  from  Bradford.  It  was  true.  At  Stan- 
ningley,  they  forced  the  boiler  plugs  of  Varley's  mill, 
and  compelled  the  people  to  leave  the  factory.  They 
next  proceeded  to  Bramley,  and  stopped  all  the  mills 
in  that  out-township.  Then  to  Armley,  Wortley, 
and  Farnley  ;  and  now  they  were  approaching  Leeds. 
The  mob  reached  Holbeck  and  the  immense  mills  of 


1842]          THE  END  OF  THE  RIOTS  123 

the  Messrs  Marshall.  The  yard-door  leading  to  the 
boiler  of  the  new  mill  was  strongly  barricaded  and 
defended  by  Mr  J.  G.  Marshall  and  his  workmen. 
Yet  the  mob,  by  repeated  efforts,  broke  in  the  door, 
and  rushed  into  the  yard.  They  could  not,  however, 
find  the  boiler  plug,  and  left  the  place  without 
stopping  the  mill,  or  doing  further  mischief  The 
soldiers  were  now  called  out,  and  Prince  George  and 
his  Lancers,  together  with  the  Artillery  and  their 
field  pieces,  were  formed  in  a  line  in  Camp  Field. 
The  Riot  Act  was  read.  The  pieces  were  loaded,  and 
ready  to  fire ;  but,  fortunately,  the  mob  was  dispersed 
without  loss  of  life.  A  number  of  prisoners  were 
taken,  and  led  off  to  the  court-house  by  the  military. 
The  back  of  the  strike  was  broken  ;  and  the  ''sacred 
month  "  ended  in  about  2000  persons  suffering  im- 
prisonment for  being  concerned  in  these  riots  in  the 
county  of  York. 

The  way  was  now  open  for  the  leaders  of  the 
Anti-Corn- Law  movement.  They  renewed  their  con- 
ferences, held  public  meetings,  engaged  lecturers  to 
enlighten  the  people,  printed  and  distributed  through- 
out the  country  millions  of  tracts,  invaded  the  agri- 
cultural districts  and  held  discussions  with  the 
farmers,  and  worked  the  movement  in  the  most 
vigorous  manner  possible.  I  was  a  very  humble 
volunteer  and  worker  in  the  same  cause ;  and  I 
remember  having  addressed  public  meetings  at 
Huddersfield,  Halifax,  Skipton,  and  Ossett.  At 
the  last  place  I  mounted  the  pulpit  in  a  Baptist 
Chapel — the  first  and  only  time  I  have  spoken  from 
so  elevated  a  place.  Of  course,  Cobden  was  the 
soul  and  centre  of  the  movement.  He  spoke  often 
in  Leeds  and  the  neighbouring  towns.  It  is  not 
necessary   for  me  to  go   further   into  this  history, 


124  LIFE  IN  LEEDS 

as    the   whole   question    is   fully    discussed    in    Mr 
Morley's  Life  of  Cobden. 

I  remember,  however,  a  story  being  told  me  by 
Mr  Rawson  of  Manchester,  which  is  worthy  of  beingf 
remembered.  Mr  Thomasson  of  Bolton  had  gone 
with  Cobden  and  Rawson  to  a  country  town,  to  hold 
a  discussion  with  the  farmers  in  the  market-place. 
Mr  Thomasson  was  a  dyspeptic  man,  and  had  a 
very  delicate  stomach.  He  could  not  digest  wheat 
bread,  but  was  driven  to  the  use  of  bran  bread. 
When  he  arrived  at  the  country  inn,  he  asked  the 
landlady  if  she  could  get  him  some  bran  to  make 
bread  with.  She  had  never  heard  of  such  a  thing ! 
But  the  bran  was  got,  and  the  bread  was  made. 
Next  morning,  the  ostler  and  the  grooms  had  a  horse 
nose-bag  stuffed  with  bran,  and  carried  it  about 
the  streets,  followed  by  a  crowd,  crying,  ''This  is 
what  these  Manchester  sweeps  would  feed  us  on! 
This  is  what  they  want  to  bring  us  to ! " 

Before  bringing  this  chapter  to  an  end,  I  may 
mention  that  the  Corn  Laws  were  repealed  by  the 
ministry  of  Sir  Robert  Peel  in  June  1846  ;  and  that, 
of  the  other  two  movements  above  mentioned,  the 
Chartist  one  collapsed  in  April  1848,  after  the 
Kennington  Common  procession,  and  the  Household 
Suffrage  one  triumphed  in  August  1867,  so  far  as 
the  residents  in  towns  were  concerned,  by  the  "dish- 
ing of  the  Whigs  "  by  the  Tories.  The  Ballot  and 
abolition  of  property  qualification  for  members 
followed.  But  no  party  has  yet  had  the  courage  to 
tackle  the  far  more  difficult  question — the  extension 
of  the  Franchise  to  the  agricultural  labourer.* 
Possibly  the  bogey  predicted  by  Mr  Baines  in   1841 

■**■  This  point  was,  however,  afterwards  settled  in  the  session  of 
1884-85. 


1846]  THE  TRIUMPH  OF  THE  LEAGUE     125 

may  be  a  bogey  after  all.  By  giving-  the  agricultural 
population  a  fair  and  equal  share  in  the  suffrage,  the 
towns  may  lose  a  portion  of  their  political  influence, 
and  "the  Tories  may  come  in,"  to  the  horror  of 
Whigs  and  Radicals. 


CHAPTER  X 

I   LEAVE   POLITICAL    LIFE 

By  the  end  of  1 842,  I  had  had  enough  of  newspaper 
editing.  I  found  it  a  rather  unquiet  life.  Yet  it  was 
in  many  respects  pleasant.  I  was  introduced  to  good 
society,  was  invited  out  a  good  deal,  and  made  many 
friends.  But  it  seemed  to  lead  to  nothing.  There 
was  the  perpetual  grinding,  the  threshing  of  straw 
that  had  been  a  thousand  times  threshed,  the  constant 
excitement,  the  wonder  whether  I  was  doing  good  or 
harm  by  my  efforts.  I  wished  to  pursue  some  quieter 
course,  and  to  have  more  time  for  reading  and  study. 
Besides,  I  had  got  engaged  to  be  married,  and 
would  now  have  to  work  for  two  instead  of  one.  I 
had  never  before  thought  much  of  money  or  of  money- 
making.  It  was  sufficient  for  me  if  I  earned  enough 
to  pay  my  way  and  save  a  little  besides.  But  now  I 
was  about  to  give  ''hostages  to  fortune,"  and  I 
required  to  consider  the  future.  To  marry,  one  must 
have  means,  as  well  as  the  prospect  of  increasing 
means.     As  Keats  says  : — 

"  Strange  !  that  honey 
Can't  be  got  without  hard  money." 

Accordingly,  I  considered  whether  I  might  not 
resume  my  former  profession.  With  the  consent  of 
my  affianced,  I  did  so.  I  took  a  house  in  Holbeck, 
an  out-township  of  Leeds,   and  put  my  surgeon's 

126 


1843]  I  CEASE  TO  BE  EDITOR  127 

address  on  the  door.  In  course  of  time,  I  was 
occupied  in  many  ways.  I  attended  the  members  of 
several  of  the  Benefit  Lodges,  and  in  this  way  became 
known  amongst  the  working-  people.  On  Sundays  I 
taught  young  men,  and  sometimes  gave  addresses,  in 
the  Zion  School,  New  Wortley.  Nor  did  I  give  up 
my  connection  with  the  newspaper.  I  continued  to 
write  articles  so  long  as  was  necessary,  and  until  I 
could  dispense  with  doing  so.  Moreover,  I  was  kept 
constantly  busy  by  a  Leeds  publisher,  who  engaged 
me  to  write  various  guides  and  pamphlets.  Some  of 
these  had  an  immense  circulation.  Among  them 
were  Guides  to  America  and  the  various  English 
colonies.  The  Guide  to  America  was  especially 
successful. 

Mr  Mann,  the  publisher  in  question,  also  requested 
me  to  write  a  History  of  Ireland.  This  was  an 
entirely  new  field  of  work.  I  looked  into  the  materials 
for  such  a  history.  Unfortunately,  they  were  not 
very  numerous.  The  Leeds  Library,  to  which  I  had 
access,  contained  very  few  books  about  Ireland. 
Moore's  History  only  brought  it  down  to  the  period 
of  the  Reformation ;  Leland's  to  the  Revolution  of 
1688  ;  Taylor's  gave  the  Civil  Wars  of  Ireland  ;  and 
so  on,  but  there  was  nothing  very  good  or  complete. 
I  wished  to  give  a  summary  down  to  the  present  day. 
I  ought  to  have  had  access  to  the  State  Paper 
Office ;  and  there  I  might  have  been  able  to  produce 
something  good.  But  I  had  no  such  access.  Yet  I 
did  the  best  that  I  could. 

The  work  was  produced  in  monthly  numbers  in 
1843.  I  must  confess  that  it  was  written  too 
hurriedly,  and  scarcely  deserved  the  success  it 
obtained.  The  arrangement  with  the  publisher  was 
half  profits,  but,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  I  received 


128  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

nothing  in  return  for  my  labour  and  trouble.  The 
work  had  a  large  circulation ;  but  the  failure  of  the 
Dublin  bookseller  through  whom  the  principal 
portion  of  the  book  was  sold,  prevented  the  publisher 
deriving-  any  profit  from  the  work,  and  I  shared  his 
bad  fortune. 

After  I  had  got  out  the  last  number  of  the  History, 
I  married,  on  the  7th  December  1843;  and  the 
Christmas  of  that  year  saw  my  once  solitary  home 
lighted  up  with  love  and  cheerfulness.  I  never 
regretted  my  marriage.  My  wife  and  I  were 
altogether  united  through  life.  I  obtained  a  cheerful 
and  affectionate  companion,  and  I  hope  that  she 
obtained  a  devoted  and  equally  affectionate  husband. 
But  these  are  things  over  which  we  draw  the  curtain. 
The  happiness  of  married  life  cannot  be  babbled 
about  to  all  the  world.* 

To  return.  The  History  of  Ireland  vf^.s  published 
as  a  whole  in  1844,  and  was  well  reviewed  by  the 
Eclectic  Magazine,  the  Nonconformist,  and  the  best 
of  the  Irish  reviews.  The  Athenceum,  while  praising 
the  book,  said  that  "the  author  has  made  but  little 
use  of  the  documents  published  from  the  State  Paper 
Office.  Notwithstanding  these  drawbacks,  his  work 
claims  the  merit  of  honesty  and  impartiality;  his 
views  of  policy  are  sound  and  philosophical ;  his 
sympathies  are  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed  ;  and  his 
opinions  are  the  result  of  careful  examination."  No 
one  could  be  better  aware  than  myself  of  the 
imperfections  of  the  work,  arising,  in  a  great  measure, 
from  my  having  to  work  at  a  distance  from  the  best 

*  Dr  Smiles  married  Sarah  Anne  Holmes,  daughter  of  a  con- 
tractor in  Leeds.  She  was  born  in  1823,  and  was  educated  at  Liverpool 
by  Miss  Martineau,  a  sister  of  the  well-known  Dr  James  Martineau. 
Mrs  Smiles  died  on  the  14th  February  1900, — Ed. 


1844]  I  MOVE  INTO   LEEDS  129 

authorities.  I  was  afterwards  urged  by  William 
Howitt  to  republish  the  work ;  but  that  would  have 
occasioned  me  too  much  trouble,  and  my  labours 
besides  were  turned  in  an  altogether  different 
direction. 

I  think  1843  was  my  heaviest  year  of  work.  I  was 
well  and  healthy,  took  plenty  of  exercise,  and  my  mind 
was  always  alive  and  active.  I  found  work,  plenty  of 
work,  necessary  for  my  happiness  and  welfare.  I 
had  always  a  lot  of  business  laid  out  beforehand.  So 
soon  as  I  had  finished  Ireland,  I  prepared  six 
lectures  on  the  ''Men  and  Times  of  the  Common- 
wealth," which  I  delivered  gratuitously  to  the 
members  of  the  Leeds  Mechanics  Institution  and 
Literary  Society,  the  first  four  in  February  1844, 
and  the  last  two  in  December  1845.  I  afterwards 
delivered  these,  reduced  to  four,  at  the  Manchester 
Athenaeum,  and  the  Liverpool  Mechanics  Institution. 
I  was  very  proud  of  this  period  of  history,  and  often 
afterwards  thought  of  devoting  myself  to  its  study. 
But  it  is  only  men  of  sufficient  means  and  fortune 
who  can  devote  themselves  to  the  pursuit  of  any 
branch  of  history. 

In  the  year  1844,  I  moved  over  to  Wellington 
Street,  Leeds,  and  there  my  eldest  child  was  born. 
I  was  still  near  my  old  friends  In  Holbeck.  Yet, 
by  the  removal,  I  to  a  certain  extent  separated 
myself  from  them.  I  still  continued  my  literary  pur- 
suits, but  I  had  given  up  the  idea  of  living  by  literature. 
I  liked  to  regard  It  as  my  staff  and  not — my  crutch. 
It  had  hitherto  failed  me.  ''  DInna  be  an  author," 
said  Robert  Nicoll's  aunt  to  him,  "they're  aye  puir." 
And  so  Robert  had  experienced  at  Leeds,  in  the 
position  which  he  occupied,  and  in  which  I  succeeded 

him,     I  recognised  the  truth  of  Coleridge's  statement 

I 


130  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

in  his  Biog'raphia  Literaria — *'  With  the  exception 
of  one  extraordinary  man,"  he  says,  **  I  have  never 
known  an  individual  of  genius  healthy  or  happy 
without  a  profession  :  i.e.,  some  regular  employment 
which  does  not  depend  on  the  will  of  the  moment,  and 
which  can  be  carried  on  so  far  mechanically,  that  an 
average  quantum  only  of  health,  spirits,  and  intellec- 
tual exertion,  are  requisite  to  its  faithful  discharge. 
Three  hours  of  leisure  unalloyed  by  any  alien  anxiety, 
and  looked  forward  to  with  delight  as  a  change  and 
recreation,  will  suffice  to  realise  in  literature  a  larger 
product  of  what  is  truly  genial,  than  many  weeks  of 
compulsion."  I  found  this  to  be  true,  in  spirit  and  in 
fact.  My  future  literary  efforts  were  conceived  m 
joy,  and  executed  with  pleasure.  Whether  they  had 
any  pecuniary  results  mattered  little,  for  I  had 
another  occupation  to  live  by. 

I  remember  being  called  upon  one  day,  at  the 
office  of  the  Leeds  Thnes,  by  a  gentleman  from 
Armley,  who  introduced  his  son,  a  strong  young 
fellow  of  about  twenty,  and  said  he  wished  him 
trained  *'as  an  editor."  ''An  editor!"  I  said,  *' I 
never  heard  of  such  a  thing.  Why  an  editor?" 
"Well,"  he  answered,  "there  are  professions  of 
doctors,  barristers,  and  so  on  :  why  not  editors  ? " 
"Simply  because,  like  poets,  editors  are  born,  not 
made.  A  young  man  cannot  be  trained  for  an  editor, 
as  he  can  be  for  a  doctor,  or  a  manufacturer,  or  any 
other  business."  "But  he  hates  business!  he  is  a 
capital  speaker,  and  wants  to  be  an  editor."  "We 
have  no  openings,  and  we  don't  take  apprentices." 
"Never  mind,"  the  father  said,  "let  my  son  be 
admitted  to  the  office,  and  let  him  try  to  do  his  best." 
We  allowed  him  to  look  over  the  papers,  and  cut  out 
paragraphs  of  news,  and,  if  he  could,  to  make  a  para- 


1845]        LECTURES  TO  WORKMEN  131 

gfraph  by  himself.  But  he  was  above  that.  The 
young  fellow  wanted  to  make  speeches,  and  write 
articles !  Of  course,  that  could  not  be  allowed.  He 
soon  tired  of  looking  over  the  papers  and  cutting-  out 
bits  of  news ;  and  then  he  disappeared.  The  next 
time  I  saw  his  name,  I  found  he  had  got  among  the 
Chartists  and  made  speeches.  He  could  certainly 
speak  by  the  yard,  but  there  was  nothing  in  it.  He 
should  have  had  his  nose  held  to  the  grindstone  for 
some  years,  and  then  probably  something  might 
have  been  made  of  him.  What  became  of  him  after- 
wards, I  do  not  know. 

In  March  1845,  I  was  waited  upon  by  a  deputa- 
tion of  young  men,  who  requested  me  to  give  them 
a  lecture,  or  at  all  events  ''to  talk  to  them  a  bit,"  at 
the  Mutual  Improvement  Society  which  they  had 
established  in  what  had  before  been  a  Cholera 
Hospital,  in  St  Peter's  Square,  Leeds.  I  complied 
with  their  request,  and  delivered  an  address  which 
was  afterwards  published  under  the  title  of  The  Edu- 
cation of  the  Working  Classes. 

After  citing  the  instances  of  men  of  worth  and 
valour  who,  in  the  face  of  the  greatest  difficulties,  had 
contributed  to  the  honour  of  their  race,  enriched  the 
literature,  and  advanced  the  science,  art,  and  com- 
merce of  their  country,   I  observed  : — 

''  Now,  I  would  not  have  any  one  here  to  think, 
that  because  I  have  mentioned  a  number  of  indi- 
viduals who  have  raised  themselves,  by  means  of 
self-education,  from  poverty  to  social  eminence,  and 
even  to  great  wealth — that  these  are  the  chief  marks 
to  be  aimed  at ;  and  that  the  cultivation  of  knowledge 
is  to  be  regarded  only  as  a  means  of  gaining  a  higher 
position  in  society  than  that  which  you  now  hold. 
This  would  be  a  great  fallacy ;  and  the  encourage- 
ment of  it  could  only  end  in  disappointment. 


132  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

''  My  object,  in  citing  these  instances,  has  been 
merely  to  show  that  adverse  circumstances  —  even 
the  barrenest  poverty — cannot  repress  the  human 
intellect  and  character,  if  it  be  determined  to  rise : 
that  man  can  triumph  over  circumstances,  and  subject 
them^  to  his  will :  that  knowledge  is  no  exclusive 
inheritance  of  the  rich  and  the  leisure  classes,  but 
may  be  attained  by  all :  or,  at  all  events,  that  no  diffi- 
culties of  situation,  however  great,  can  furnish  any 
reason  for  despair. 

''The  education  of  the  working-classes  is  to  be 
regarded,  in  its  highest  aspect,  not  as  a  means  of 
raising  up  a  few  clever  and  talented  men  into  a  higher 
rank  of  life,  but  of  elevating  and  improving  the 
whole  class — of  raising  the  entire  condition  of  the 
working  man.  The  grand  object  aimed  at  should 
be  to  make  the  great  mass  of  the  people  virtuous, 
intelligent,  well-informed,  and  well-conducted ;  and  to 
open  up  to  them  new  sources  of  pleasure  and  happi- 
ness. Knowledge  is,  of  itself,  one  of  the  highest 
enjoyments.  The  ignorant  man  passes  through  the 
world,  dead  to  all  pleasures  save^  those  of  the  senses. 
He  sees  no  more  of  the  beauties  of  existence  than 
if  he  were  blind.  To  the  man  whose  mental  eyes 
have  never  been  touched  with  the  divine  breath,  the 
world  is  all  empty — at  best  a  mere  gallery  of  pictures  ; 
while,  to  the  intelligent,  'earth  fills  her  lap  with 
splendours.' 

"  I  regard  it  as  discreditable  to  this  country  that, 
while  so  much  has  been  done  to  draw  forth  the 
resources  of  its  soil,  so  little  has  been  done  to  develop 
the  character  of  its  people.  ^  What  signifies  to  me  the 
richness  of  our  territory,  if  it  do  not  produce  good 
and  wise  men  ?  What  matters  it  that  our  cotton  or 
woollen  fabrics  are  improved,  if  our  citizens  are 
deteriorated?  What  are  the  perfectness  and  multi- 
plicity of  our  productive  powers,  if  our  people  are 
miserable,  depraved,  and  ignorant?  What  though 
the  resources  of  our  soil,  our  mines,  and  our  seas,  be 
developed,  if  the  intellect  of  our  people  be  allowed  to 
remain  uncultivated?  It  is  there  that  the  true  seeds 
of  prosperity  and  progress  lie  hid.  There  lie  the 
truest  riches  of  a  state — the  knowledge,  virtue,  and 
character  of  the  nation. 

"It  may  be — nay,  it  will  inevitably  happen — that 


1845]       LECTURE  ON   EDUCATION  133 

education  will  teach  those  who  suffer  how  to  remove 
the  causes  of  their  sufferings  ;  and  it  may  also  make 
them  dissatisfied  with  an  inferiority  of  social  privileg-e. 
This,  however,  is  one  of  the  necessary  conditions  of 
human  progress.  If  man  be  degraded,  he  must  be 
dissatisfied — discontented,  if  you  will — with  that  con- 
dition of  degradation,  before  he  can  make  the  neces- 
sary effort  to  rise  out  of  it.  It  is  the  opprobrium  of 
some  of  the  most  wretched  and  suffering  classes  in 
our  land,  that  they  are  contented  with  their  condition. 
Theirs  is  the  satisfaction  of  the  blind  who  have  never 
known  light. 

*' What  is  the  great  idea  that  has  seized  the  mind 
of  this  age?  It  is  the  grand  idea  of  man — of  the 
importance  of  man  as  man  ;  that  every  human  being 
has  a  great  mission  to  perform — has  noble  faculties 
to  cultivate,  great  rights  to  assert,  a  vast  destiny  to 
accomplish.  And  the  idea  has  also  seized  hold  of  the 
public  mind,  that  every  human  being  should  have  the 
means  and  the  opportunity  of  education — and  of 
exercising  freely  all  the  powers,  faculties,  and  affec- 
tions" of  his  god-like  nature. 

*'What  signifies  it  that  our  machines  and  our 
fabrics  are  improved  and  multiplied,  if  our  men  are 
not  bettered  in  condition?  What  matters  it  how 
much  steam  power  we  employ,  if  it  keep  man  more 
than  ever  yoked  to  the  car  of  toil  ?  Man,  I  insist,  has 
a  rig'ht  to  leisure — for  the  improvement  of  his  mind 
as  well  as  the  preservation  of  his  health  ; — leisure  to 
think,  leisure  to  read,  leisure  to  enjoy ;  and  the  true, 
the  benevolent,  the  humane,  the  Christian,  applica- 
tion of  James  Watt's  stupendous  discovery  of  the 
steam-engine  would  be  —  to  abridge,  instead  of 
increasing,  the  toil  of  the^  labouring  classes,  and 
enable  them  to  employ  the  time,  thus  set  free,  in  the 
cultivation  and  enjoyment  of  the  highest  faculties  of 
their  nature.  This  would  be  the  true  improvement 
of  James  Watt's  splendid  gift  to  man." 


The  enthusiasm  with  which  these  lectures  were 
received,  and  the  rousing  effect  which  they  produced 
on  many  of  the  young  men  who  listened  to  them  (of 
which  I  afterwards  frequently  heard),  induced  me  to 


134  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

believe  that  a  book  written  in  the  same  spirit  might 
be  of  some  use ;  and  I  proceeded  to  carry  the  idea 
into  effect.  I  was  asked  to  deliver  the  lecture  before 
the  Mechanics  Institution  at  Woodhouse,  and  before 
the  youngf  men  connected  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  at  Leeds.  For  I  may  mention  that  I  had 
sympathy  with  all  classes  and  sections  of  the  com- 
munity ;  and  I  believe  I  had  friends  amongst  them  all. 
I  have  often  had  Roman  Catholics,  Dissenters,  High 
Churchmen,  and  Socialists,  meeting  together  in 
the  most  friendly  manner  at  my  house.  And  I,  on 
my  part,  was  willing  to  help  them  all  in  every  good 
work. 

I  went  on  enlarging  my  lecture,  and  delivered  it 
at  Thirsk  and  elsewhere.  I  kept  adding  to  the 
examples,  and  entered  into  correspondence  with  men 
of  influence  and  action.  Some  of  my  best  illustra- 
tions were  obtained  in  this  way ;  and  I  endeavoured 
to  work  them  up  into  a  sort  of  continuous  narrative. 
Then  I  arrived  at  the  title  by  which  my  assemblage 
of  facts  became  afterwards  known — Self-Help ;  but 
the  book  so-called  was  not  published  for  many 
years  after  the  date  of  its  first  delivery  as  a  lecture. 
In  the  meantime,  another  change  in  my  destiny 
occurred. 

I  hope  the  reader  does  not  think  that  I  was  too 
fond  of  making  changes.  I  could  not  help  it.  I 
tried  to  make  a  living  by  physic,  but  failed.  I  tried 
newspaper  editing ;  and,  though  it  kept  me,  I  found 
that  it  would  not  maintain  a  wife  and  family.  I  tried 
book-writing,  and  failed  there  too,  so  far  as  income 
was  concerned.  Another  change  was,  therefore, 
necessary.  Dr  Mackintosh  told  me  at  Edinburgh 
that  "a  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss."  However 
this  may  be,  I  certainly  gathered  nothing  by  resting 


1845]  GEORGE  STEPHENSON  185 

and  not  rolling-.  I  thoug-ht  rolling  was  worth  a  trial. 
Changfe  might  do  something-  for  me.  Idiots  never 
change ;  but  sensible  people  change  for  the  better. 
Hence  I  changed,  and  now  changed  again ;  and  my 
last  change  was  certainly  a  successful  one. 

England  was  now  at  the  commencement  of  the 
railway  epoch.  Since  the  opening  of  the  Liverpool 
and  Manchester  line  in  1830,  the  extension  of 
railways  had  proceeded  very  slowly.  The  line 
connecting  Liverpool  with  London  was  only  opened 
in  September  1838,  on  the  completion  of  the  London 
and  Birmingham  railway.  I  heard  of  the  event 
during  my  first  visit  to  London,  after  returning  from 
Germany.  Railways  were  gradually  being  extended 
in  the  manufacturing  districts.  In  June  1839,  the 
line  from  Manchester  to  Leeds  was  opened.  In 
June  1840,  I  was  invited  to  attend  the  opening  of 
the  North  Midland  Railway  from  Leeds  to  Derby. 
At  the  junction  of  the  York  and  North  Midland 
line,  a  train  from  York  was  waiting,  containing 
George  Hudson,  George  Stephenson,  and  some 
of  the  magnates  of  the  North.  I  afterwards  dined 
with  the  railway  assemblage  in  the  Music  Hall  at 
Leeds. 

I  often  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  and  hearing 
George  Stephenson  after  that  event.  He  was  a 
great  favourite  at  Leeds,  and  was  frequently  invited 
to  attend  the  soirees  of  the  Mechanics  Institute. 
He  was  a  man  of  handsome  presence — white-haired, 
blue-eyed,  and  ruddy — a  wholesome,  genial  man. 
His  addresses  were  very  impressive.  His  very  word 
''persevere!"  had  something  inspiring  in  it.  His 
advice  was  always  most  weighty,  coming  as  it  did 
from  the  fulness  of  his  own  experience. 

Down  to  the  year  1844,  the  extension  of  railways 


136  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

had  been  comparatively  moderate.  But  with  the 
increase  of  traffic  on  the  railways  already  made,  and 
with  the  consequent  increase  of  dividends,  the  shares 
rapidly  rose  in  value,  and  many  new  lines  were 
projected.  Among-  the  Railway  Acts  granted  in 
1845,  were  the  Leeds,  Dewsbury,  and  Manchester 
Railway  (afterwards  amalgamated  with  the  London 
and  North-Western  Railway),  and  the  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  Railway  (afterwards  amalgamated  with  the 
North-Eastern  Railway).  These  two  companies 
had  offices  in  the  same  building.  Railway  service 
was  so  new,  and  the  increase  of  new  companies 
had  recently  been  so  rapid,  that  persons  of  experi- 
ence were  difficult  to  be  had.  Mr  Fenton*  was 
the  secretary  and  assistant  engineer  (under  Mr 
Grainger  of  Edinburgh)  of  the  Leeds  and  Thirsk 
Railway ;  and  as  his  assistant  secretary,  a  Mr 
Easton,  who  was  a  man  of  experience,  was  about  to 
leave  him,  he  was  in  a  great  dilemma  for  some  person 
to  assist  him  in  the  office  work.  He  told  me  of  his 
difficulty,  and  said,  "If  you  are  not  otherwise 
employed,  and  could  come  into  the  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  office  to  assist  me,  I  should  feel  greatly 
obliged." 

I  considered  the  matter,  and  thought,  "Shall  I 
make  this  further  change  ?  Shall  I  leave  finally  the 
profession  of  medicine,  in  which,  in  course  of  time, 
I  might  succeed ;  or  the  profession  of  literature, 
in  which  I  had  to  a  certain  extent  failed,  and 
where  there  was  little  probability  of  continual 
success  ?  " 

To  succeed  in  medicine  requires  a  great  deal  of 
time  and  experience;  as  well  as,  perhaps,  family 
interest.      It  used  to  be  said  of  doctors,  that  they 

*  Afterwards  manager  for  the  Low  Moor  Iron  Company. 


1845]     OFFEE   OF  EAILWAY  WORK       137 

rarely  gfot  bread  enough  to  eat,  until  they  had  not 
teeth  to  eat  it.  Medical  men  are,  to  a  certain  extent, 
the  slaves  of  the  public.  While  persons  in  other  pro- 
fessions spend  their  evenings  in  peace,  doctors  are 
oblig-ed  to  work  by  night  as  well  as  by  day — some- 
times by  night  more  than  by  day.  If  they  do  not  go 
to  the  patient  who  sends  for  them  instantly,  they  are 
denounced.  They  are  sent  for  at  meal  times,  or 
when  in  church,  or  at  night  while  in  bed.  Dr  Lewins, 
of  Haddington,  used  to  tell  this  story.  A  plough- 
man, after  he  had  done  his  work,  took  the  plough- 
horse,  and  rode  into  the  town  ''for  the  doctor." 
"What's  the  matter?"  cried  the  doctor  (who  had 
been  in  bed)  from  the  window.  "My  wife's  got  a 
sair  hoast "  (or  cough).  "  But  what  makes  you  come 
at  this  time  of  night?"  "I  thought,"  said  the 
ploughman,  "that  I  would  be  sure  to  find  you  at 
hame!"  Just  so.  Then  a  great  deal  of  the  work 
done  for  the  public  is  gratuitous.  In  the  case  of 
those  practising  amongst  the  poor — which  is  the 
case  with  nearly  all  young  men — they  think  them- 
selves very  well  off  if  they  get  one-half  of  the  amount 
of  the  bills  they  render,  or  at  most  three-fourths. 
They  are  regarded  as  friends  and  even  angels  by 
people  when  they  are  ill ;  but  when  the  debt  has 
been  incurred  they  are  regarded  as  something  very 
much  the  reverse.  They  often  get  neither  money 
nor  thanks.  People  often  doubt  whether  they 
have  received  value  for  their  money.  In  the  case 
of  the  butcher,  or  baker,  or  tailor,  it  is  different. 
There  was  nothing,  therefore,  to  detain  me  in  this 
profession. 

Then,  with  regard  to  literature — in  the  case  of 
newspaper  editing,  the  weekly  quota  of  work  must  be 
done.      The  editor  must  write,  whether  well  or  ill, 


138  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

whether  he  has  subjects  worthy  of  discussion  or  not, 
he  must  thresh  his  straw,  though  threshed  so  often 
before ;  a  veritable  task  of  Sisyphus,  requiring-  much 
brain  work,  or  at  least  brain  worry,  and  a  good  deal 
of  mental  endurance.  Book-writing  again  is,  after 
all,  but  a  lottery.  You  may  succeed,  if  you  can  find  a 
proper  subject,  and  give  enough  thought  and  investi- 
gation to  its  development,  which,  of  course,  requires 
time  and  leisure.  Then,  suppose  you  have  finished 
your  book,  you  must  wait  for  the  results  of  the  "half 
profits"  system.  If  your  bookseller  fails,  as  was  the 
case  with  the  principal  seller  of  my  History  of 
Ireland,  all  your  time  and  labour  go  for  nothing. 
The  results  are  absolutely  fruitless.  This  is  even 
more  unsatisfactory  than  the  practice  of  medicine. 

Such  being  the  case,  and  having  now  a  wife  and 
family  to  support,  I  accepted  the  advice  of  my 
friend  Mr  Fenton,  and  applied  for  the  position  of 
assistant  secretary  to  the  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Railway. 
The  mayor,  Mr  Luckock,  backed  my  application ; 
and  having  many  friends  and  acquaintances  at 
the  Board  —  amongst  others,  Mr  Henry  Cowper 
Marshall,  the  chairman,  Mr  Baines,  senior,  of  the 
Leeds  Mercury,  and  others — I  was  elected  to  that 
office  at  the  end  of  1845  ;  and  shortly  after,  on  the 
retirement  of  Mr  Fenton  to  accept  a  more  remuner- 
ative office,  I  was  appointed  full  secretary.  I  was 
now  free  from  the  turmoil  of  politics.  I  could  call 
my  evenings  my  own,  and  spend  them  with  my 
family,  in  quiet  reading  and  quiet  thinking.  Though 
not  extraordinarily  well  paid,  I  was  to  a  certain 
extent  independent,  as  my  wants  were  few.  My 
work  was  not  arduous.  It  was  regular  and  syste- 
matic— some  might  say  humdrum  ;  yet  it  was  full  of 
interest. 


1845]  RAILWAY   SECRETARY  139 

The  object  of  the  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Railway  was 
to  connect  the  manufacturing-  districts  of  the  West 
Riding  more  directly  with  the  towns  and  villages  in 
Wharfedale,  with  Harrogate  and  Knaresboro'  Ripon, 
and  the  coal  and  iron  districts  of  the  North-West 
of  England.  The  line,  when  first  granted,  effected  a 
junction  with  the  Great  North  of  England  (now  the 
North-Eastern)  Railway  at  Thirsk,  and  shortened 
the  distance  to  the  north  by  about  twenty-three 
miles.  From  Leeds,  it  passed  over  the  river  Aire ; 
then  due  northward  through  the  Bramley  Fall 
sandstone,  and  by  a  tunnel  of  about  two  miles  long-, 
under  the  Bramhope  Ridge ;  then  across  the  Wharfe, 
by  a  long-  viaduct  to  Pannal,  Harrogate,  and  Knares- 
boro', and  Ripon,  to  the  junction  with  the  main 
northern  line  near  Thirsk.  The  first  sod  of  the 
railway  was  cut  in  October  1845  ;  the  foundation 
stone  of  the  Wharfedale  railroad  was  laid  by  Mr  H. 
C.  Marshall,  in  March  1846;  the  first  stone  of  the 
Bramhope  Tunnel  was  laid  by  Mr  Bray,  the  con- 
tractor, in  the  following  July ;  and  the  whole  of  the 
work  was  soon  in  full  progress. 

My  business  —  for  it  was  a  regular  plodding- 
business —  consisted  in  attending  the  meetings  of 
the  Board  and  taking  down  the  minutes,  in  arrang- 
ing the  calls  upon  the  shares  in  compliance  with  the 
Act  of  Parliament,  managing  the  finances,  the  corre- 
spondence, and  the  various  business  connected  with 
a  large  railway  company,  under  the  directions  of  the 
Board.  It  was  steady,  routine  work,  requiring- 
application,  judgment,  power  of  organisation,  and 
trustworthiness.  In  none  of  these,  I  hope,  was  I 
found  deficient ;  though  the  employment  was  not, 
on  the  whole,  of  a  character  to  bring  with  it  any 
fame  or  special  reputation. 


140  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  g-o  through  the 
history  of  this  railway,  with  which  I  was  connected 
for  so  many  years.  I  may  mention,  however,  that 
the  principal  difficulty  connected  with  it  was  an 
engineering-  one.  When  the  contractor  started  with 
the  Bramhope  Tunnel,  he  began  to  cut  into  it  at  both 
ends,  and  sunk  eight  shafts  down  through  the  ridge, 
from  south  to  north,  to  the  level  of  the  tunnel. 
Engines  were  erected  over  them,  to  pump  the  water 
out.  When  the  water  was  reached,  it  rushed  out 
like  a  flood,  drove  the  men  out  of  the  shafts  and 
drowned  the  works.  The  water  came  from  an 
immense  distance,  under  the  sandstone  rock,  from 
as  far  as  Ilkley,  about  eight  or  nine  miles  westward, 
where  the  wells  were  seriously  affected.  More 
powerful  engines  were  erected,  and  still  the  water 
could  not  be  pumped  away  sufficiently  quick  to 
enable  the  workmen  to  proceed  with  the  quarrying 
of  the  tunnel. 

George  Hudson,  who  then  reigned  supreme  as 
Railway  King  in  the  North,  and  who  feared  the 
competition  of  the  new  line,  declared  that  the  Bram- 
hope Tunnel  would  never  be  made,  that  there  were 
no  pumps  in  existence  that  would  pump  the  water 
out  of  the  shafts,  and  that  the  company  would  be 
bankrupt  long  before  the  tunnel  could  be  finished. 
Not  so  fast !  The  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Company  did 
not  become  bankrupt,  but  King  Hudson  did  before 
the  tunnel  was  finished.  The  once  omnipotent  man 
fell  from  his  high  estate,  and  was  hounded  to  death 
by  his  own  toadies  and  sycophants. 

It  was  a  fact,  however,  that  the  company  could 
not  find  engines  powerful  enough  to  pump  the  water 
out  of  the  shafts  at  the  north  end  of  the  tunnel. 
The  consequence  was,   that  the   pumping  engines 


1846]  ARTICLES  ON  BENEFIT  SOCIETIES  141 

were  stopped,  and  the  men  quarried  along  the  drift- 
way, until  they  eventually  reached  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft,  where  the  water  was  most  voluminous,  and 
then,  througfh  the  channel  thus  given,  it  flowed 
away  in  a  sort  of  torrent  at  the  north  end,  without 
any  further  necessity  for  pumping".  This  work  was 
very  tedious,  and  greatly  protracted  the  opening  of 
the  railway.  The  directors  nevertheless  pushed 
forward  the  undertaking,  and  took  measures,  by 
raising  new  capital  and  obtaining  fresh  Acts  of  Parlia- 
ment, to  extend  the  line  northward  to  Northallerton, 
Yarm,  Middlesborough,  Stockton,  and  Hartlepool. 
This  rendered  it  necessary  for  me  to  be  often  in 
London,  during  the  Parliamentary  season,  to  give 
evidence  before  the  committees,  and  to  take  the 
other  steps  with  the  directors  and  solicitor,  for  the 
progress  of  the  undertaking. 

I  did  not  entirely  leave  my  connection  with 
literature.  I  think  it  was  in  December  1846,  that 
a  large  meeting  of  the  Manchester  Unity  of  Odd- 
fellows took  place  in  the  Music  Hall,  at  which 
Mr  William  Beckett,  M.P.,  and  Dr  Hook  made 
speeches,  as  well  as  Mr  Robert  Baker,  Factory 
Commissioner,  and  myself  Mr  Alexander  Sher riffs 
was  in  the  chair.  He  was  then  stationmaster  at 
Marsh  Lane,  Leeds.  By  virtue  of  his  ability,  he 
was  promoted  step  by  step  to  be  general  manager 
of  the  York  and  North  Midland  Railway  Company. 
At  the  end  of  his  life,  he  became  Member  for 
Worcester,  and  was  director  of  several  companies  of 
considerable  commercial  importance.  The  attention 
of  Mr  Edward  Baines,  senior,  was  attracted  to  the 
question  by  the  proceedings  at  the  above  meeting.  He 
asked  me  confidentially  if  I  would  furnish  a  series  of 
articles  on  the  Benefit  Societies  of  the  working-classes 


142  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

for  the  Leeds  Mercury ;  and  I  had  much  pleasure  in 
complying  with  his  request.  The  proceedings  of  the 
Oddfellows  were  at  that  time  little  known,  and  I 
believe  the  articles  in  the  Mercury  proved  of  service. 
Mr  Baines  afterwards  appeared  publicly  at  a  meet- 
ing in  support  of  the  institution.  I  was  afterwards 
induced  to  undertake  the  editing  of  the  quarterly 
Oddfellows  Mag-azine,  published  at  Leeds  ;  in  which 
I  inserted  many  articles  upon  ''Health,"  ''The 
Improvement  and  Education  of  Women,"  "  Sugges- 
tions for  the  Improvement  of  the  Rates  of  Contribu- 
tion," "Building  Societies,"  "Life  Assurance,"  "The 
Friendly  Societies  Bill,"  "Individual  Improvement 
and  Social  Advancement,"  "The  Condition  of 
Benefit  Societies,"  "Provide,"  "Laws  of  Mortality 
and  Sickness,"  "The  True  Principles  of  Benevolent 
Societies,"  "The  Widows'  and  Orphans'  Fund,"  and 
other  similar  subjects. 

When  William  Howitt  and  John  Saunders,  with 
great  intentions,  started  the  People  s  Journal  m  1845, 
the  former  asked  me  to  contribute  articles,  and  in  the 
first  year  I  sent  three,  on  "Benefit  Societies  and 
Education."  During  the  second  year  (1846)  I  sent 
four,  on  "Factory  Women,"  "Popular  Amusement 
and  Recreation,"  and  two  brief  biographies  (Vincent 
and  Cobden).  In  the  third  year,  I  sent  two  more  on 
the  subject  of  Factory  Women,  and  the  measures 
being  then  taken  for  the  improvement  of  their  moral 
and  social  condition.  This  useful  and  interesting 
publication  having  been  brought  to  an  end  by  a 
quarrel  between  the  proprietors,  William  Howitt 
started  a  weekly  journal  of  his  own,  to  which  I 
transferred  my  small  services. 

To  the  first  volume  of  Howitt' s  Journal  I  contri- 
buted an  article  on  "A  Scheme  of  Free  Libraries," 


1847]  HOWITTS  JOURNAL  143 

which,  I  believe,  had  the  effect  of  starting  a  system 
of  itinerant  libraries  for  Yorkshire,  principally 
through  the  active  instrumentality  of  Mr  Hole,  in 
connection  with  the  Leeds  Mechanics  Institute.  The 
system  was  taken  from  that  established  by  Samuel 
Brown  in  Haddington  many  years  before,  to  which 
I  was  so  greatly  indebted  when  a  youth.  I  also 
published  two  brief  biographies  in  the  same  volume. 
To  the  second  volume,  I  contributed  three  more 
memoirs  of  distinguished  persons ;  and  to  the  third, 
four  more ;  and  then  the  publication  broke  down, 
amidst  a  storm  of  angry  communications  and  replies 
from  the  proprietors  of  the  two  ruined  journals  — 
Howitt  and  Saunders.  It  was  altogether  a  most 
unhappy  termination  of  an  originally  prosperous 
enterprise. 

In  the  midst  of  Mr  Howitt's  labours  upon  his 
journal,  he  called  upon  me  with  Miss  Margaret 
Gillies,  an  old  friend ;  and  spent  the  night  at  my 
house  while  I  lived  at  Woodhouse  Cliffe,  near  Leeds. 
The  two  had  been  at  Hargate  Hill,  near  Barnsley, 
for  the  purpose  of  seeing  Ebenezer  Elliott — the  one 
for  the  purpose  of  making  some  memoranda  for  an 
article,  and  the  other  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
drawing  of  the  **  Corn-law  Rhymer,"  both  of  which 
appeared  in  Howitt' s  Journal  of  3rd  April  1847. 
They  told  me  that  Elliott  was  ill  and  suffering ;  but 
that  he  would  be  glad  to  see  me,  in  memory  of 
old  times,  if  I  could  ever  run  over  and  see  him 
at  his  country  house.  I  could  not  find  time 
then ;  but  about  two  years  later,  when  the  late 
William  Bridges  Adams,  the  engineer,  who  sup- 
plied our  railway  with  some  rolling  stock,  told  me 
that  he  was  going  over  to  see  Elliott,  and  invited 
me    to    accompany    him,     I     determined    to     run 


144  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

over  to  Margate  Hill  and  visit  the  suffering  and 
venerable  poet. 

It  was  on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  towards  the  end 
of  October,  that  we  were  put  down  at  Darfield 
Station  on  the  North  Midland  Railway,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  walk  up  the  hill  towards  Great  Houghton 
Common.  It  was  one  of  the  last  lovely  days  of 
autumn,  when  the  faint  breath  of  summer  was  still 
lingering  among  the  woods  and  fields,  as  if  too  loath 
to  depart  from  the  earth  she  had  gladdened.  The 
foliage  of  the  hedges  and  coppice  was  tinted  in  russet, 
purple,  and  brown,  with  just  enough  of  green  to  give 
that  perfect  autumnal  tint  so  lovely  and  pictorial. 
The  beech-nuts  were  dropping  from  the  trees  and 
crackled  underfoot,  while  a  rich  damp  srnell  arose 
from  the  decaying  leaves  by  the  roadside. 

After  a  short  walk  up  the  old  Roman  road  leading 
into  the  famous  Watling  Street,  in  some  places  com- 
manding beautiful  views  over  the  undulating  country, 
we  reached  the  village  of  Old  Houghton,  at  the  south 
end  of  which  stands  the  famous  Old  Hall,  an 
interesting  remnant  of  middle-age  antiquity.  It  was 
once  the  seat  of  the  owner  of  the  adjoining  lands,  a 
stern  Presbyterian,  but  was  now  reduced  to  the 
condition  of  a  public-house — ''To  what  base  uses 
may  we  come,  Horatio!"  Its  fantastic  gable  ends, 
projecting  windows,  quaint  doorway,  diamond 
''quarrels,"  and  its  great  size  looming  up  in  the 
twilight,  with  the  well-known  repute  which  the  house 
bears  of  being  "haunted,"  made  one  regard  it  with  a 
strange  awe-like  feeling.  It  seemed  not  like  a  thing 
of  this  everyday  world.  Indeed,  the  place  breathes 
the  atmosphere  of  the  olden  time,  which  is  not  even 
dispelled  by  the  inscription  outside  of  "licensed  to  be 
drunk  on  the  premises." 


1847]    VISIT  TO  CORN-LAW  RHYMER     145 

As  It  was  open  to  the  public,  we  entered,  and  then 
we  observed  a  number  of  village  labourers,  plough- 
men, and  delvers,  sitting-  in  a  boxed-off  corner  of  the 
old  squire's  hall,  drinking  their  Saturday  night's  quota 
of  beer,  amidst  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke ;  whilst  the 
landlady,  seated  at  a  tap  in  a  corner  of  the  apartment, 
was  dealing  out  potations  to  all  comers  and  purchasers. 
A  huge  black  deer's  head  and  antlers  projected  from 
the  wall  near  the  door — evidently  part  of  the  antique 
furniture  of  the  place  ;  and  we  had  a  glimpse  of  a  fine 
broad  stone  staircase  winding  up  one  of  the  deep 
bays  of  the  Hall,  evidently  leading  to  the  state 
apartments  above.  After  this  brief  glance  we  pro- 
ceeded up  the  hill  to  the  more  inviting  house  of  the 
poet. 

We  reached  it  in  the  dusk  of  the  autumn  evening. 
There  was  just  light  enough  to  enable  us  to  perceive 
that  it  was  situated  on  a  pleasant  height  near  the 
hill-top,  and  commanded  an  extensive  prospect  of  the 
undulating  and  finely-wooded  country  towards  the 
south  ;  while  to  the  north  there  stretched  away  an 
extensive  tract  of  moorland,  covered  with  gorse 
bushes.  The  house  we  approached  consisted  of 
a  simple,  gable-ended,  old  English  farm  cottage, 
surrounded  by  a  nicely  kept  garden  and  grass  plot, 
with  some  of  the  late  monthly  roses  still  in 
bloom. 

We  were  cordially  welcomed  by  the  poet,  his  wife, 
and  two  interesting  daughters.  Elliott  looked  the 
invalid  that  he  was ;  for  he  was  suffering  from  the 
fatal  disease  that  soon  after  carried  him  off.  He  was 
pale  and  thin,  and  his  hair  was  almost  white.  Age 
and  suffering  had  deeply  marked  his  features  since 
I  last  saw  him  in  his  office  at  Sheffield.  An  anxious 
expression  of  features  indicated  the  acute  pain  which 

K 


146          I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

he  constantly  carried  about  with  him.  And  yet  he 
conversed  cheerfully,  and  his  manner  was  as  flatter- 
ingly kind  as  ever. 

After  we  had  dismissed  the  subject  of  his  health, 
the  conversation  ranged  upon  general  'topics ;  his 
countenance  brightened  up ;  he  forgot  himself  and  his 
anxieties,  and  seemed  to  become  a  new  man.  Not- 
withstanding his  physical  weakness — and  he  lay  on 
an  American  rocking-chair  propped  up  with  pillows — 
his  heart  beat  as  warm  and  true  as  ever  to  the  cause 
of  human  fellowship  and  universal  good.  The  Bread 
Tax,  which  he  had  so  often  denounced,  had  now  been 
repealed.  He  went  over  the  old  battle  struggles  of 
his  life ;  displayed  the  same  zeal,  and  held  the  same 
strong  faith  in  the  cause  about  which  he  had  rhymed, 
long  before  it  had  seized  possession  of  the  public  mind. 
He  mentioned,  what  I  had  not  before  known,  that  the 
Sheffield  Anti-Corn- Law  Association  was  the  first  to 
start  the  system  of  operations  afterwards  adopted  by 
the  League,  and  that  they  were  the  first  to  employ 
Paulton  as  a  public  lecturer.  But  to  Cobden  he  gave 
the  praise  of  having  popularised  the  cause,  and 
knocked  it  into  the  public  mind  by  dint  of  sheer  hard 
work  and  strong  practical  common-sense ;  and  to 
Cobden  he  still  looked  as  the  great  leader  of  the  day 
— the  most  advanced  and  influential  man  of  his  time. 
He  was  severe  upon  the  Socialists.  ''What  is  a 
Communist?"  he  asked.  ''One  who  has  yearnings 
for  equal  division  of  unequal  earnings.  Idler  or 
bungler,  he  is  willing  to  fork  out  his  penny  and  pocket 
your  shilling." 

The  patriotic  struggle  in  Hungary  enlisted  his 
warmest  sympathies ;  and  he  regarded  Kossuth  as 
"cast  in  the  mould  of  the  great  heroes  of  antiquity." 
Of  the  Russian  Czar  he  spoke  as  "that  tremendous 


1847]         THE  EHYMER  AT   HOME  147 

villain  Nicholas,"  and  he  believed  him  to  be  so 
infatuated  with  his  success  in  Hungary,  that  he  would 
not  know  where  to  stop,  but  would  rush  blindly  to 
his  ruin. 

The  conversation  passed  on  towards  his  occu- 
pations in  this  remote  country  spot,  whither  he  had 
retired  from  the  busy  throng  of  men,  and  the 
engrossing  pursuits  and  anxieties  of  business.  Here, 
he  said,  he  had  given  himself  up  to  meditation  ;  nor 
had  he  been  idle  with  his  pen,  for  he  had  a  volume 
of  prose  and  poetry  nearly  ready  for  publication. 
Strange  to  say,  he  spoke  of  his  prose  as  the  better 
part  of  his  writings,  and,  as  he  himself  thought,  much 
superior  to  his  poetry.  But  he  is  not  the  first  instance 
of  a  writer  who  has  been  in  error  as  to  the  comparative 
value  of  his  works.  On  that  question  the  world,  and 
especially  posterity,  will  pronounce  the  true  verdict. 
His  wife,  he  said,  had  been  his  best  critic.  The  two 
seemed  very  affectionate.  She  familiarly  addressed 
him  as  ''Ebb"  or  ''Ebby."  This  sounded  very  oddly 
in  my  ears. 

He  spoke  with  great  interest  of  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  the  neighbourhood,  which  had  been  a 
source  to  him,  during  his  healthy  period,  of  immense 
joy  and  delight.  He  said  we  must  go  and  see  the 
two  great  old  oaks  about  a  mile  to  the  north,  near 
the  old  Roman  road,  under  the  shadow  of  which  the 
Wapentake,  or  muster  of  Weapon  men,  assembled 
in  former  times.  In  the  hollow  of  one  of  these  oaks, 
in  more  recent  days,  Nevlson  the  highwayman  used 
to  take  shelter.  Then  he  spoke  of  the  fine  wooded 
country  which  stretched  towards  the  south — Went- 
worth,  Wharncliffe,  Conisborough,  and  the  fine 
scenery  of  the  Dearne  and  the  Don ;  and  of  the 
many  traditions  which  still  lingered  about  the  neigh- 


148         I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

bourhood,  which,  he  said,  some  Walter  Scott,  could 
he  gather  them  up  before  they  died  away,  might 
make  glow  again  with  life  and  beauty. 

"  Did  you  see,"  he  asked,  ''that  curious  Old  Hall 
on  your  way  up  ?  " 

"Yes." 

''Well,"  he  said,  "that  terrible  despot,  Lord 
Strafford,  married  his  third  wife  from  that  very 
house,  and  afterwards  lived  in  it  for  some  time.  No 
wonder  the  country  folks  say  it  is  haunted ;  for 
if  it  be  true  that  unquiet,  perturbed  spirits  have 
power  to  wander  on  the  earth,  after  the  body  to 
which  they  were  before  bound  is  dead,  then  his  could 
never  endure  the  rest  of  the  grave.  After  his  death, 
the  Old  Hall  became  the  property  of  Sir  William 
Rhodes,  a  stout  Presbyterian  and  Parliamentarian. 
When  the  great  civil  war  broke  out,  Rhodes  took  the 
field  with  his  tenantry  on  the  side  of  the  Parliament, 
and  the  first  encounter  with  the  Royalists  took  place 
only  a  few  miles  north  of  Old  Houghton.  While 
Rhodes  was  at  Tadcaster  with  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax, 
Captain  Grey  (an  ancestor  of  the  present  Earl  Grey), 
at  the  head  of  a  body  of  300  Royalist  horse,  attacked 
the  Old  Hall ;  and  as  there  were  only  some  thirty 
farm-servants  left  to  defend  it,  the  place  was  taken 
and  set  on  fire.  Everything  that  could  burn  was 
destroyed.  But  Oliver  Cromwell  eventually  rode 
down  the  Cavaliers  with  his  ploughmen  at  Marston 
Moor  ;  and  then  Rhodes  took  possession  of  the  Old 
Hall,  and  repaired  it.  You  would  see  the  little 
chapel  at  its  west  end  :  that  was  added,  and  a  godly 
Presbyterian  divine  was  appointed  to  minister  in  it ; 
and  a  road  was  made  from  thence  to  Driffield,  to 
enable  the  people  of  that  place  to  reach  it  by  a  short 
and  convenient  route." 


1847]    CONVERSATION  WITH  ELLIOTT    149 

''I  forget  how  it  happened,"  he  continued,  "but 
I  believe  it  was  by  marriage,  that  the  estate  fell  into 
the  possession,  in  these  later  days,  of  Monckton 
Milnes,  the  father  of  the  poet,  to  whom  it  now  belongs. 
As  Monk  Frystone  was  preferred  for  a  family  resi- 
dence, the  Old  Hall  was  allowed  to  fall  to  decay  ;  the 
fine  old  furniture  and  tapestry  were  removed  to  the 
new  house  at  Monk  Frystone ;  and  the  Old  Hall  is 
now  used  as  a  public-house." 

And  then  the  conversation  turned  upon  young 
Monckton  Milnes,  his  fine  poetry,  and  his  beautiful 
Life  of  Keats :  on  Keats,  of  whom  Elliott  spoke  in 
enthusiastic  terms  as  "the  great  resurrectionized 
Greek  "  :  on  Carlyle,  whom  he  admired  as  one  of  the 
greatest  of  living  poets,  though  not  writing  in  rhyme  : 
on  the  Howitts,  and  their  fine  country  books :  on 
Longfellow,  whose  Evang-eline,  then  just  published, 
he  longed  to  read.  Of  Southey  he  spoke  in  terms 
of  much  affection.  "Southey,"  he  said,  "does  not 
like  my  politics  :  he  thinks  me  rabid  ;  but  he  admires 
my  poetry.  I  have  two  sons  in  the  Church  ;  he  has 
gone  out  of  his  way  to  recommend  their  promotion, 
and  secure  livings  for  them.  I  am  much  indebted 
to  him  for  his  kindness  and  goodness.  Besides,  I 
admire  his  poetry  and  his  prose,  especially  his  Life 
of  Nelson,  which  will  perhaps  live  longer  than  all 
that  he  has  written."  And  thus  the  evening  stole 
on  with  delightful  converse  in  the  midst  of  that  quiet, 
happy  family^ — the  listeners  recking  not  that  the  lips 
of  the  eloquent  speaker  would  soon  be  moist  with 
the  dews  of  death. 

On  my  return  home,  I  sent  Ebenezer  Elliott  a 
copy  of  Longfellow's  Evangeline,  a  shilling  edition, 
which  had  just  been  published  in  England,  and  I 
received  from  him  the  following  letter : — 


150  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

"Hargate  Hill,  near  Barnsley, 
"  yrd  November  1849. 

'*  My  dear  Sir, — 

**If  ever  you  can  spare  a  little  time, 
bring  Mrs  Smiles  with  you.  I  think  we  could  keep 
you  'wick,'  as  we  Yorkshire  folks  say,  for  a  few  days. 
\ye  have  always  a  stranger's  bed,  slept  in  every  other 
night,  and  it  will  hold  two ;  and  though  we  can't  go 
to  market  as  you  can,  we  are  seldom  without  bacon 
and  eggs.  You  would  be  quite  a  godsend  —  not 
that  I  want  for  society  here,  but  it  is  of  the  wrong 
sort. 

**  How  truly  good  you  are!  But  I  know  not  how 
to  repay  you  for  Evangeline — unless  I  send  you  a 
shilling,  and  that,  I  suppose,  would  affront  you. 

'*  Longfellow  is  indeed  a  poet,  and  he  has  done 
what  I  deemed  an  impossibility ;  he  has  written 
English  hexameters,  giving  our  mighty  lyre  a  new 
string!  When  Tennyson  dies,  he  should  read 
Evangeline  to  Homer. — I  am,  yours  very  truly, 

**  Ebenezer  Elliott. 

**  My  wife  and  daughters  send  their  best  respects 
to  you  and  your  lady,  and  it  is  perhaps  well  that  the 
latter  does  not  hear  what  they  say  oiyou, 

''  N.B. — They  are  discovering  that  you  are  a 
Scotsman." 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  Poor  Elliott  died  in  less 
than  a  month  from  the  date  of  his  letter  to  me — that 
is,  on  the  ist  of  December  1849.  The  sadly  pained 
look  of  his  face  prepared  me  for  the  event.  I  knew 
that  his  disease  was  fatal,  and  perhaps  he  knew  it 
himself  Yet  he  kept  up  his  own  spirits,  and  the 
spirits  of  those  about  him,  in  a  wonderful  way.  Only 
a  fortnight  before  his  death,  his  beloved  daughter 
was  married.  He  was  supported  from  his  bed  to 
the  window,  to  see  the  return  of  the  party  from 
church.  The  fatigue  was  almost  more  than  he  could 
bear.      "  My  child,"  he  said  to  his  daughter  Fanny, 


1847]  ELLIOTT'S   POETRY  151 

"  I  feel  so  weak  that  an  infant  might  fell  me  with  a 
primrose."  Hearing-  a  Robin  Redbreast  singing 
beneath  his  chamber  window,  he  had  strength 
enough  left  to  dictate  to  his  daughter  the  following 
sweet  little  poem,  to  the  air  of  '"Tis  time  this  heart 
should  be  unmoved  "  : — 

"  Thy  notes,  sweet  Robin,  soft  as  dew, 
Heard  soon  or  late,  are  dear  to  me  ; 
To  music  I  could  bid  adieu, 
But  not  to  thee. 


"  When  from  my  eyes  this  life-full  throng 
Has  past  away,  no  more  to  be  ; 
Then,  autumn's  primrose,  Robin's  song, 
Return  to  me." 


These  were  his  last  lines. 

There  was  a  mixture  of  fierceness  and  yet  of  tender- 
ness in  Elliott's  poetical  writings.  When  he  felt  him- 
self the  champion  of  an  oppressed  class,  he  wrote  with 
a  welding  heat,  and  threw  out  thoughts  full  of  burn- 
ing passion,  'Mike  white  hot  bolts  of  steel."  Such 
verses  sprang  out  of  a  truly  noble  wrath  ;  but  better 
thoughts  came  to  him  in  quieter  times,  and  then  he 
overflowed  with  sympathy  for  his  fellow-men.  While 
denouncing  his  opponents  so  hotly  in  political  strife, 
he  had  all  the  while  a  deep  well  of  tenderness  in 
his  heart.  He  used  to  say  that  he  was  descended 
from  some  famous  Elliott,  a  border  reiver  from  be- 
yond the  Tweed ;  and  perhaps  some  of  the  ancient 
bitterness  still  clung  to  him.  Nevertheless,  he  was 
fearless,  honest,  sincere,  and  persevering  —  a  fine 
specimen  of  that  determined,  sturdy  character,  which 
has  made  the  North  of  England  the  hive  of  the 
world's  industry.  Although,  like  Burns,  he  wrote 
an  epitaph  for  his  own  tombstone,  I  think  that  the 


152          I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

followingf    lines,    written    nine    months    before    his 

death,  describe  his  best  and  truest  character  more 

fittingly. 

"LET  ME  REST. 

"  He  does  well  who  does  his  best : 
Is  he  weary  ?  let  him  rest : 
Brothers  !  I  have  done  my  best, 
I  am  weary — let  me  rest. 
After  toiling  oft  in  vain, 
Baffled,  yet  to  struggle  fain  ; 
After  toiling  long,  to  gain 
Little  good  with  mickle  pain, — 
Let  me  rest — But  lay  me  low. 
Where  the  hedgeside  roses  blow  ; 
Where  the  little  daises  grow, 
When  the  winds  a-maying  go  ; 
Where  the  footpath  rustics  plod  ; 
Where  the  breeze-bow'd  poplars  nod  ; 
Where  the  old  woods  worship  God  ; 
Where  His  pencil  paints  the  sod  ; 
Where  the  wedded  throstle  sings  ; 
Where  the  young  bird  tries  his  wings  ; 
Where  the  wailing  plover  swings 
Near  the  runlet's  rushy  springs  ! 
Where,  at  times,  the  tempest's  roar, 
Shaking  distant  sea  and  shore, 
Still  will  rave  old  Barnesdale  o'er 
To  be  heard  by  me  no  more  ! 
There,  beneath  the  breezy  west, 
Tir'd  and  thankful,  let  me  rest. 
Like  a  child,  that  sleepeth  best 
On  its  gentle  mother's  breast." 

There  Is  a  feature  In  Elliott's  history  worthy  of 
notice.  His  life  proved,  what  has  been  a  disputed 
point,  that  the  cultivation  of  poetic  and  literary 
tastes  is  perfectly  compatible  with  success  in  trade 
and  commerce.  It  Is  a  favourite  dogfma  of  some, 
that  he  who  courts  the  muses  or  Indulges  In  composi- 
tion must  necessarily  be  unfitted  for  the  practical 
business  of  life ;  and  that  to  succeed  In  trade  or 
business,   a  man   must  live  altogether   for  it,   and 


1847]     BUSINESS   AND   LITERATURE      153 

never  rise  above  the  consideration  of  Its  petty- 
details.  This  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  false  and  grovel- 
ling- notion,  and  at  variance  with  actual  experience. 
In  this  matter  I  speak  for  myself,  and  merely  use 
the  experience  of  Ebenezer  Elliott  In  confirmation  of 
my  views. 

Generally  speaking,  you  will  find  the  successful 
literary  man  a  person  of  Industry,  application, 
steadiness,  and  sobriety.  He  must  be  a  hard  worker. 
He  must  sedulously  apply  himself  He  must 
economise  time,  and  coin  It  Into  sterling  thought,  if 
not  Into  sterling-  money.  His  habits  tell  upon  his 
character,  and  mould  It  Into  consistency.  If  he  is  in 
business,  he  must  needs  be  diligent ;  and  his  Intelli- 
gence will  give  him  resources,  which  to  the  ignorant 
man  are  denied.  It  may  not  have  been  so  in  the 
last  century,  when  the  literary  man  was  a  rara  avis, 
a  world's  wonder,  who  was  feted  and  lionised  until 
he  became  irretrievably  spoilt ;  but  now,  when  all 
men  are  readers,  and  a  host  of  men  have  become 
writers,  the  literary  man  is  no  longer  a  novelty  ; 
he  drags  quietly  along-  in  the  social  team,  engages 
in  business,  economises,  and  succeeds,  just  as 
other  men  do,  and  often  to  much  better  purpose 
than  the  illiterate  and  uncultivated.  Some  of  the 
most  successful  men  in  business  at  the  present  day, 
are  men  who  wield  the  pen  In  the  Intervals  of  their 
daily  occupations,*  some  for  self-culture,  others  for 
pleasure,  others  because  they  have  something  cheerful 
or  instructive  to  communicate  to  their  fellow-men. 
Shall  we  say  that  they  are  less  usefully  employed 
than  If  they  had  been  sitting  at  a  concert  hearing  a 
symphony,  In  a  theatre  seeing  a  play,  at  the  club 

*  I    have    furnished    many    illustrations    of  this    statement    in 
Character,  pp.  111-122. 


154  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

playing  whist,  sleeping  over  a  newspaper,  or,  after  a 
dinner,  cracking  filberts  over  the  wine,  and  perhaps 
riddling  their  ''friends"  with  the  sparrow-hail  of 
next-door-neighbour  scandal  ? 

Ebenezer  Elliott  not  only  attended  sedulously  to 
his  business,  but  improved  his  mind  and  cultivated 
his  literary  taste  during  the  hours  of  leisure.  He 
had  more  difficulties  to  encounter  than  most  men. 
He  was  originally  a  dull  boy,  though  sensitive.  He 
was  unable  to  learn  anything,  and  was  regarded  as 
unconquerably  stupid.  He  used  to  regard  his 
companion,  John  Ross,  who  did  his  sums  for  him, 
with  intense  admiration.  His  brother  Giles  was 
very  clever,  and  could  learn  anything ;  but  he  was 
ruined  by  praise,  and  did  nothing.  Giles  was  put 
into  an  office,  in  which  his  father  was  clerk,  to  write 
out  invoices  and  post  the  ledger ;  while  Ebenezer 
was  sent  into  the  foundry  to  do  hard  and  dirty  work. 
The  positions  of  the  two  boys  became  completely 
reversed  in  their  subsequent  lives.  The  character  of 
Ebenezer  was  formed  amid  the  rough  surroundings 
of  the  forge  and  the  foundry,  but,  stimulated  by  the 
desire  of  excelling,  he  was  indefatigable  in  study. 
He  went  into  the  steel  and  bar-iron  trade  at 
Sheffield,  and  by  attention  to  his  business,  he  realised 
enough  for  a  competency,  and  eventually  retired 
upon  it.  At  the  same  time  he  gained  a  reputation 
as  a  poet,  equal  to  that  of  the  best  of  his  time  ;  though 
I  do  not  think  his  merits  are  sufficiently  esteemed. 
There  is  no  complete  collection  of  his  works ;  nor 
has  any  complete  memoir  of  him  yet  been  written. 
I  have  often  thought  that  a  Life  of  Ebenezer  Elliott, 
if  properly  composed,  might  prove  a  thrilling  and 
inspiring  book  for  young  men.  He  himself  once 
wrote  the  commencement  of  his  autobiography,  but 


1849]  EVIDENCE  ON  PUBLIC  LIBKARIES  155 

was  stopped  by  the  recollection  of  some  terrible 
crisis  in  his  life.  He  could  not  get  over  it,  and  laid 
down  his  pen  in  despair.  I  hope  it  may  yet  be 
possible  for  a  life  of  this  good  man  and  true  poet  to 
be  published.  It  might  be  equal  to  that  of  Benjamin 
Franklin,  and  much  better  than  that  of  William 
Hutton.  Elliott  was,  on  the  whole,  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  remarkable  men  of  modern 
times. 

During  the  same  year  in  which  Elliott  died  (1849), 
I  was  requested  to  give  evidence  before  a  select  com- 
mittee of  the  House  of  Commons,  on  the  Establish- 
ment of  Free  Public  Libraries.  I  happened  to  be  in 
London  on  the  business  of  the  Railway  Company, 
and  was  very  glad  to  give  such  information  as  I 
possessed.  Mr  Ewart  was  in  the  chair  ;  Mr  Disraeli, 
Mr  Monckton  Milnes,  Lord  Elcho,  and  others,  were 
on  the  committee.  I  related  briefly  what  I  knew  of 
the  want  of  libraries  in  Leeds  and  the  West  Riding 
of  Yorkshire ;  of  the  libraries  in  connection  with 
Mechanics  Institutes ;  of  the  Mutual  Improvement 
Societies  established  by  the  working-classes  and  the 
difficulties  they  had  in  purchasing  books  of  reference  ; 
of  the  want  of  elementary  instruction  in  the  first 
place ;  and  the  want  of  opportunities  afterwards 
for  those  who  have  learnt  to  read.  Mr  Monckton 
Milnes  put  a  curious  question :  ''  Have  you  found 
the  literary  habits  of  artisans  very  much  affected  by 
the  circumstances  of  good  or  bad  trade?"  *'Yes; 
but  not  to  so  large  an  extent  as  might  be  supposed. 
During  a  period  of  great  depression,  two  or  three 
years  ago,  several  mechanics  institutions  were  formed 
in  villages  in  the  West  Riding,  because  the  working 
people  had  time  to  spare ;  but  as  soon  as  the  mills 
began  running  full  time  again,  the  institutions  were 


156  I  LEAVE  POLITICAL  LIFE 

dropped.  The  people  had  simply  employed  in  self- 
improvement  the  time  that  was  liberated  during*  the 
scarcity  of  employment  in  the  mills."  I  also  gave 
some  evidence  as  to  the  uses  of  the  system  of 
Itinerating-  Libraries  which  had  been  established  in 
Haddingtonshire ;  and  afterwards  sent  in  a  letter 
giving  a  tabular  view  of  the  libraries  in  connection  with 
the  Yorkshire  Union  of  Mechanics  Institutes,  which 
was  published  with  the  minutes  of  evidence  and  the 
report  of  the  proceedings. 

In  the  following  year,  a  permissive  Act  was  passed 
for  the  purpose  of  promoting  Public  Libraries,  and 
for  establishing  and  extending  Public  Museums  of 
Art  and  Science  in  Municipal  Boroughs,  in  the 
interest  of  the  instruction  and  recreation  of  the 
people.  I  took  the  opportunity  of  publishing  a 
letter  in  the  Leeds  Mercury  oi  9th  November  1850, 
calling  attention  to  these  important  powers,  and 
urging  their  adoption  in  Leeds.  I  concluded  as 
follows : — 

''  I  know  that  the  cost  will  be  objected  to.  I  only 
speak  of  the  extreme  desirableness  of  our  having  a 
Town  Hall,  with  a  Public  Library,  and  accommoda- 
tion for  a  Public  Museum.  What  was  the  cost  of 
our  gaol  ?  What  of  our  pauper  training  schools  ? 
We  have  built  these  irrespective  of  the  question  of 
cost.  Are  we  to  have  it  said  of  us  that  we  lack 
spirit  to  get  up  any  public  buildings,  excepting 
they  be  for  the  purposes  of  accommodating  criminals 
and  paupers  ?  Do  we  not  owe  sornething  to  ourselves 
and  to  those  who  are  neither  criminals  nor  paupers  ? 
Is  not  the  founding  of  a  Public  Library  as  creditable, 
as  necessary,  and  as  beneficial,  a  work  as  the  erection 
of  a  gaol  ?  I  conclude  by  expressing  my  conviction 
that  the  borough  of  Leeds  would  do  itself  lasting 
honour  by  taking  the^  lead  in  providing  a  Public 
Library  under  the  provisions  of  the  Public  Libraries 
and  Museums  Act  of  1850." 


1850]    EFFOETS  FOR  FREE  LIBRARIES     157 

Years  passed  before  the  Free  Library  Act  was 
passed ;  and  now  it  is  doing"  good  public  service. 
My  words  may  have  been  like  seed  cast  into 
the  ground,  to  bring  forth  fruit  after  many 
days. 


CHAPTER  XI 

END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN   LEEDS 

I  CONTINUED  to  work  regularly  at  the  Railway 
Company's  Office.  There  was  much  to  do;  ''calls" 
to  be  made  and  looked  after  ;  money  to  be  borrowed 
on  loan  and  debenture  to  meet  the  heavy  charges  for 
constructing  the  line  ;  and  a  good  deal  of  correspond- 
ence to  be  conducted.  New  Acts  had  also  to  be 
applied  for,  which  led  me  to  be  often  in  London  to 
give  evidence  during  the  Parliamentary  session. 

The  line,  as  originally  laid  out,  ended  at  a  junction 
with  the  Great  North  of  England  Railway,  near 
Thirsk.  But  this  was  no  sufficient  terminus.  It  was 
found  necessary  to  carry  the  line  further,  and  to 
bring  it  into  connection  with  the  important  seaport 
towns  of  the  North.  It  was  then  determined  to  apply 
for  Acts  to  enable  the  line  to  be  extended  to  Stockton, 
Hartlepool,  and  perhaps  Sunderland  and  Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne  ;  as  well  as  to  make  junctions  with  the 
Stockton  and  Darlington  Railway,  near  Stockton 
and  Middlesborough,  and  also  with  the  York  and 
Newcastle  Railway  at  Ferryhill,  in  the  county  of 
Durham. 

In  1848,  Acts  were  applied  for  and  obtained,  to 
extend  the  railway  to  Stockton-on-Tees,  and  to  a 
junction  with  the  Stockton  and  Hartlepool  Railway, 


1849]  RAILWAY  WORK  159 

by  which  an  access  could  be  obtained  to  the  thriving 
new  port  of  West  Hartlepool.  The  name  of  the 
Company  was  altered  from  "Leeds  and  Thirsk"  to 
*'  Leeds  Northern."  New  shares  were  got  out  and 
taken  up  with  difficulty.  Preference  shares  were 
created,  and  taken  up  with  greater  ease.  In  the 
meantime  the  works  were  pushed  forward.  The  first 
locomotive  passed  through  the  Bramhope  Tunnel  on 
the  31st  of  May  1849 ;  and  the  directors  opened  the 
line  to  Thirsk  on  the  9th  of  July  following. 

In  the  meantime,  a  large  block  of  land  had  been 
purchased  in  Wellington  Street  for  the  purposes  of 
the  new  station  in  Leeds.  Several  other  companies 
desired  to  have  station  accommodation  in  the  town, 
more  especially  the  London  and  North- Western  Com- 
pany, which  had  absorbed  the  Leeds,  Dewsbury,  and 
Huddersfield  Railway  ;  the  Great  Northern,  which 
had  obtained  access  to  Leeds ;  and  the  Leeds  and 
Manchester  Company,  which  desired  to  have  station 
accommodation  of  its  own.  The  necessary  land 
was  purchased  under  the  powers  of  the  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  Act ;  and  the  four  companies  arranged  to 
have  the  land  divided  and  the  necessary  station 
works  erected  under  the  control  of  a  special  Board 
or  Committee,  the  members  of  which  were  appointed 
by  the  four  companies  concerned.  At  their  first 
meeting  they  appointed  me  secretary  of  the  *'  Leeds 
Central  Station,"  and  this,  of  course,  led  to  new  work. 

The  new  Board  contained  some  very  interesting 
personages — intimately  connected  with  the  early 
history  of  railways  in  England.  Among  these  the 
most  important  was  Henry  Booth,  the  first  secretary 
of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  Railway,  the 
inventor  of  the  coupling  screw  and  of  several  other 
useful  contrivances  connected  with  railway  working. 


160      END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

Booth  was  a  man  of  remarkable  shrewdness  and 
ability ;  he  had  a  considerable  literary  turn,  and  had 
the  germ  of  the  mechanician  in  him  from  his  earliest 
years.  He  might  have  made  a  fortune  by  his 
coupling  screw  had  he  patented  it ;  but  he  threw 
this  useful  invention  open  to  the  world.  It  was, 
moreover,  his  sug-gestion  of  the  multi-tubular  boiler, 
which  enabled  George  Stephenson's  Rocket  to  win 
the  prize  at  Rainhill,  when  the  amount  of  the  prize 
was  equally  divided  between  Booth  and  Stephenson. 
This  important  invention  also  was  not  patented,  so 
that  Mr  Booth  was  a  man  who  deserved  the  gratitude 
of  the  entire  railway  world. 

Mr  Cubit t  was  the  engineer  who  represented  the 
Great  Northern  Company,  and  Mr  Hawkshaw  the 
Leeds  and  Manchester  Company  —  both  very  in- 
teresting men.  It  was  a  treat  to  observe  the  quick- 
ness with  which  they  saw  the  points  of  a  case,  and 
the  rapidity  with  which  they  did  their  work — brush- 
ing away  everything  that  was  immaterial  and  sub- 
sidiary— all  that  could  be  done  by  subordinates,  who 
were  required  diligently  to  report  progress. 

Mr  Beckett  Denison,  one  of  the  members  for  the 
West  Riding,  was  almost  invariably  present  at  the 
meetings  of  the  Board,  and  when  there  he  was  always 
appointed  to  preside.  He  made  an  excellent  chair- 
man. He  kept  the  discussions  closely  to  the  point, 
allowed  no  gossip  to  interfere,  saw  that  the  heads  of 
the  minutes  taken  were  accurate  ;  and  when  the  busi- 
ness was  despatched,  which  was  done  quickly  but 
perfectly,  he  was  as  cheerful  and  gossipy  as  the  rest. 
It  was  like  a  fresh  breeze  of  air  to  get  Beckett 
Denison  to  appear  amongst  us.  He  was  a  fine,  tall, 
jolly  man — full  of  fun  ;  and  yet  an  excellent  man  of 
business. 


1849]  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  MAGAZINES  161 

I  remained  the  secretary  of  this  Board  (the  Leeds 
Central  Station)  until  the  completion  of  the  arrange- 
ments, which  was  after  I  left  the  company's  service. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  the  details  of  a  railway 
secretary's  work.  One  day  is  like  another,  as  with 
all  routine  business.  My  evenings  were  all  my  own. 
I  could  do  with  them  what  I  thought  pleasant, 
profitable,  and  useful.  I  have  said  that  I  used  to 
write  some  articles  for  TAe  People  s  and  afterwards 
for  Hoxvitt's  Journal.  Both  these  publications  died, 
amidst  strife,  in  1848;  and  in  the  course  of  the 
following  year  I  entered  into  another  arrangement, 
which  gave  me  a  good  deal  of  literary  employment 
during  my  leisure  hours. 

In  the  summer  of  1849,  my  friend  Miss  Cushman 
was  invited  to  spend  a  few  days  or  weeks  at  my 
house;  and  she  asked  beforehand  ''if  she  might 
bring  a  friend  with  her."  *'  By  all  means,"  was  my 
reply.  She  accordingly  brought  her  friend  ;  and  she 
turned  out  to  be  Miss  Eliza  Cook,  the  well-known 
popular  poetess.  In  the  course  of  this  visit.  Miss 
Cook  told  me  the  reason  of  her  desire  to  see  me.  It 
was  because  she  intended  to  start  a  weekly  periodical, 
and  she  asked  me  if  I  would  help  her  with  some 
useful  articles — such  as  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
write  for  other  papers.  I  agreed,  and  sent  her  an 
article  weekly,  on  such  subjects  as  *'The  Preserva- 
tion of  Health,"  ''  The  Practice  of  Temperance," 
"  Providing  against  the  Evil  Day,"  ''Emigration," 
"Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Societies," 
"  Industrial  Schools  for  Young  Women,"  and  a  few 
biographic  sketches. 

Among  the  latter,  I  gave,  in  the  fifth  number  of 
Eliza  Cooks  Journal,  an  outline  of  the  life  of  George 
Stephenson.     I  obtained  my  information  principally 


162        END  OF  EESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

from  my  friend  and  fellow-official,  John  Bourne, 
eng-Ineer  of  the  Leeds  Northern  Railway.  Like  every 
Newcastle  man,  he  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  manly 
character  and  Inborn  genius  of  the  father  of  railway 
engineering.  He  had  worked  under  him  and  with 
him,  on  several  of  the  coal  lines  of  the  north  ;  and  had 
a  great  store  of  anecdotes  of  his  early  life,  and  the 
difficulties  he  had  surmounted  in  his  efforts  after 
knowledge.  Some  of  them  were  traditional,  and  had 
gathered,  in  the  course  of  re-telling,  accretions 
which  were  more  or  less  fictitious — something  like 
the  "Three  Black  Crows."  For  instance,  the  story 
of  his  being  at  first  a  ''trapper"  in  the  coal  pit,  was 
not  well  founded.  The  story,  also,  of  his  having  first 
made  love  to  the  mistress  and  then  (being  rejected) 
to  her  servant,  was  only  a  fiction  of  the  imagination. 
I  did  not  know  at  the  time  that  these  stories  were 
apocryphal,  and  I  gave  circulation  to  Mr  Bourne's 
narrative.  The  article  was  copied  Into  the  news- 
papers, in  town  and  country,  and  no  doubt  helped 
the  circulation  of  Miss  Cook's  journal  in  many 
ways. 

The  Idea  occurred  to  me,  that  the  life  of  George 
Stephenson  was  one  well  worth  writing  out  fully — 
not  only  because  of  the  striking  character  of  the  man, 
but  because  of  the  wonderful  impulse  which  he  had 
given  to  civilisation  by  the  development  of  the  rail- 
way locomotive.  There  must  be  many  men  still 
living,  who  could  give  information  about  his  early 
life,  his  growth,  his  education,  his  history,  and  his 
great  achievements.  If  the  opportunity  were  allowed 
to  pass,  a  great  deal  of  good  example  as  well  as  of 
interesting  history,  might  be  utterly  lost  to  future 
students  of  the  times  amidst  which  we  lived.  I 
determined  to  call  upon  Robert  Stephenson  at  his 


1849]  INTERVIEW  WITH  STEPHENSON   163 

offices  ill    London,  during  one  of  the  many  visits 
which  I  then  paid  to  the  Metropolis. 

I  was  received  by  Mr  Stephenson  very  kindly. 
In  answer  to  my  inquiries,  he  said  that  there  had 
been  some  talk  of  writing  the  life  of  his  father,  but 
that  nothing- had  been  done.  Indeed,  he  had  given 
up  the  hope  of  seeing  it  undertaken.  Besides,  he 
doubted  whether  the  subject  possessed  much  interest ; 
and  he  did  not  think  the  theme  likely  to  attract  the 
attention  of  literary  men  of  eminence. 

*'  If  people  get  a  railroad,"  he  said,  "it  is  all  that 
they  want :  they  do  not  care  how  or  by  whom  it  is 
made.  Look  at  the  Life  of  Telford,  a  very  inter- 
esting man  :  it  has  been  published  lately,  and  has 
fallen  still-born  from  the  press." 

I  replied  that  I  thought  the  Life  of  Telford  had 
been  very  badly  done,  and,  as  a  biography,  con- 
tained very  little  of  human  interest.  If  I  decided  to 
write  the  life  of  his  father,  I  would  endeavour  to 
treat  of  his  character  as  a  Man  as  well  as  an 
Engineer. 

''Well,"  he  said,  ''I  think  you  are  right.  But  I 
thought  it  better  to  warn  you  against  losing  your 
time,  your  labour,  and  your  money.  If,  however, 
you  decide  to  write  the  Life,  let  me  know,  and  I 
shall  be  very  glad  to  help  you." 

This  was  all  that  I  could  hope  for  at  that  time. 
I  took  advantage  of  the  next  Easter  holidays,  and 
went  down  to  Newcastle  to  look  over  the  ground. 
Mr  Stephenson  furnished  me  with  a  letter  to  Mr 
Budden,  his  business  manager  at  the  Forth  Street 
works.  I  saw  him,  and  he  gave  me  some  information. 
I  went  to  George  Stephenson's  birthplace  at  Wylam, 
and  had  an  interview  with  Jonathan  Foster,  who  told 
me  all  about  ''Puffing   Billy"   and  the  old  colliery 


164       END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

engines.  After  a  few  clays'  inquiry,  I  found  the 
results  I  was  able  to  collect  were  very  meag-re.  The 
information  I  wanted  existed  only  in  the  memories 
of  individuals,  from  whom  it  had  to  be  gathered  by 
intercourse,  and  by  slow  degrees.  Thus  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  preparation  of  a  satisfactory 
Life  of  George  Stephenson,  from  authentic  sources, 
required  an  actual  residence  for  some  period  in  the 
districts  where  he  had  lived ;  and  as  the  pursuits  in 
which  I  was  then  engaged  rendered  this  altogether 
out  of  the  question,  I  abandoned  the  project — but  it 
turned  out  that  this  was  only  for  a  time. 

To  return  to  my  contributions  to  Eliza  Cook. 
During  the  first  year  of  her  journal,  I  furnished  only 
one  article  a  week.  But  as  the  publication  went  on, 
the  editress  seemed  to  like  my  articles  more  and  more. 
In  the  vsecond  volume,  I  contributed  an  article  entitled 
"Drinking,"  which  excited  a  good  deal  of  interest 
amongst  the  temperance  people.  A  deputation 
waited  on  Miss  Cook,  and  presented  her  with  a 
handsomely-bound  copy  of  Peter  Burne's  Teetotallers 
Companion^  or,  A  Plea  for  Temperance,  ''in  acknow- 
ledgement of  her  efforts  to  promote  the  benefit  of 
society,  and  particularly  for  the  excellent  article  on 
'Drinking'  in  No.  39  of  her  valuable  journal." 
Miss  Cook  kindly  sent  me  the  present,  with  this 
inscription  :  "  As  this  volume  is  due  to  my  esteemed 
friend  Dr  Smiles  rather  than  to  myself,  I  have  sincere 
pleasure  in  presenting  it  to  him,  with  the  earnest 
hope  that  his  benevolence  and  talent  may  ever 
produce,  as  they  do  now,  good  to  man  and  honour  to 
God." 

Miss  Cook  asked  me  to  increase  my  contributions, 
and  I  proceeded  accordingly.  I  wrote  stories,  novel- 
letes,   reviews,  travels,  articles  on  domestic  life,  on 


1850]  PUBLIC   EDUCATION  165 

young  women,  on  boys  and  young  men,  on  benefit 
societies,  on  savings  banks,  on  popular  education,  on 
temperance,  and  a  large  number  of  brief  biographies. 
Miss  Cook  was  not  satisfied.  Like  Oliver,  she  still 
''asked  for  more";  until  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
volumes  of  her  journal,  I  must  have  contributed  at 
least  one  half  of  the  articles  in  each  number.  I 
turned  all  my  holiday  journeys  to  account.  I  con- 
tributed my  "Walk  up  the  Rhine,"  my  visits  to 
Bolton  Abbey  (that  charming  resort  of  Yorkshire 
people);  and,  in  1851,  after  making  a  journey  to 
Ireland  during  my  annual  fortnight's  holiday,  I  com- 
municated the  results  to  the  journal  In  my  ''Autumn 
Trip  through  Munster."  This  continued  for  several 
years,  until  the  middle  of  1854,  when,  the  journal 
getting  into  new  hands  in  consequence  of  the  ill- 
ness of  Miss  Cook,  I  ceased  my  contributions,  and 
an  end  came  to  that  source  of  employment  for  my 
leisure  hours. 

The  only  question  in  which  I  continued  to  take  a 
public  interest  was  that  of  Education.  Men  were  still 
calling  out  for  the  extension  of  political  privileges, 
although  there  was  every  reason  to  fear  that  the  bulk 
of  grown  men  were  grossly  uneducated,  even  in  the 
first  rudiments  of  learning.  More  than  half  the 
women  married  at  the  parish  church  could  not 
write  their  own  names.  Matters  were  still  worse  at 
Bradford,  and  other  towns  in  the  West  Riding. 
Lancashire  was  even  worse  than  Yorkshire.  Agi- 
tations were  got  up  to  remedy  this  state  of 
things. 

Among  others,  Dr  Hook,  the  vicar  of  Leeds,  pub- 
lished a  pamphlet  recommending  a  system  of  national 
education,  in  which  religion  should  be  excluded  from 
the  school  teaching  (but  be  taught,  as  in  Holland,  by 


166      END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

special  relig-ious  teachers),  and  that  the  schools  should 
be  supported  by  local  rates,  and  superintended  by 
committees  chosen  by  the  justices  of  the  peace.  This 
was  considered  by  many  an  exceedingly  liberal  view 
at  the  time.  The  Doctor  urged  that  churchmen  and 
dissenters  should  merge  their  differences,  in  order,  at 
least,  to  ensure  an  efficient  school  education  for  the 
rising-  generation  of  children  ;  ''for  although,"  he  said, 
"  I  would  not  confound  moral  training  with  what  I 
consider  to  be  religious  education,  yet  such  training 
may  be  used  as  the  handmaid  of  religion,  and  for 
want  of  it,  thousands  of  our  fellow-creatures  are 
relapsing  into  barbarism,  and  becoming  worse  than 
heathen." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  dissenters  were  at  that  time 
opposed  to  anything  in  the  shape  of  help  by  Act  of 
Parliament.  They  would  not  have  State  help ;  they 
would  not  have  help  from  local  rates  and  local  man- 
agement. They  insisted  that  education,  as  well  as 
religion,  should  be  conferred  by  voluntary  efforts  only. 
But  voluntaryism  was  doing  next  to  nothing  for 
education.  The  only  flourishing  schools  at  that  time 
were  the  schools  established  by  the  Church  and  by 
Wesleyan  congregations,  and  these  were  aided  by 
direct  subventions  from  the  State.  According  to  the 
returns  published  in  the  minutes  of  the  Committee  of 
Council  on  Education  for  1850,  thirty-seven  schools 
(principally  built  and  supported  by  members  of  the 
Church)  were  receiving  about  ;^2  28o  in  Annual 
Educational  Grants  ;  whereas  there  was  only  one 
school  belonging  to  the  dissenters  In  Leeds  supported 
on  the  purely  voluntary  principle. 

In  April  1850  some  persons — for  the  most  part 
belonging  to  the  working  class — Interested  In  the 
progress  of  Education,  and  anxious  to  do  away  with 


1850]      THE  EDUCATION   QUESTION       167 

this  unsatisfactory  state  of  things,  desired  me  to 
attend  a  public  meeting-  in  the  Court  House,  to 
support  a  resolution  in  favour  of  the  Bill  then 
before  the  House  of  Commons,  ''to  promote  the 
secular  education  of  the  people  of  England  and 
Wales."  I  consented  to  do  so.  I  also  formed  part 
of  a  deputation  to  wait  upon  Dr  Hook,  and  to  ask 
him  to  attend  the  meeting.  The  Doctor  received  us 
very  kindly  ;  but  he  said,  ''  I  have  published  my  views 
on  the  subject,  and  my  appearance  on  the  occasion 
might  possibly  be  hurtful  to  the  cause.  Nevertheless, 
I  wish  you  every  success." 

The  meeting  was  held  in  the  Court  House  on  the 
nth  of  April  1850.  My  old  friend,  Mr  Hamer 
Stansfeld,  presided,  and  made  an  excellent  speech.  In 
the  course  of  his  remarks  he  said,  "It  is  lamentable 
to  find  the  point  of  view  from  which  this  educational 
struggle  is  regarded  by  some — that  relig^ion  is  the  bar 
to  the  progress  of  education.  It  is  not  religion  that 
is  to  blame,  but  sectarianism  —  principles  almost 
opposite  in  their  nature.  It  is  the  intent  and  purpose 
of  Christianity  to  draw  us  together  and  teach  us  to 
love  one  another.  It  is,  alas,  the  tendency  of 
sectarianism  to  produce  the  very  opposite  results.  I 
would  myself  that  the  pure  spirit  of  the  Christian 
religion  were  interwoven  with  every  thought  and 
word  and  deed  of  man,  and  consequently  should 
prefer  the  combination  of  unsectarian  religion  with 
education ;  but  should  the  working-classes  prefer  a 
secular  scheme,  and  that  the  religious  part  should  be 
left  to  the  care  and  attention  of  the  parents  and  the 
minister  of  religion,  and  to  the  action  of  the  voluntary 
principle,  I  would  trust  them.  Educate  them  upon 
their  own  terms — educate  them  at  their  own  price — 
educate,  educate,  educate — and  rest  assured  that,  if 


168    END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

once  an  educated  people,  they  will  be  all  the  more 
likely  to  be  a  religious  people." 

I  followed  Mr  Stansfeld,  and  moved  the  first 
resolution.  I  believe  I  made  the  longest  speech 
of  the  evening-  —  I  say  nothing-  of  its  value.  I 
was  followed  by  Mr  William  Brook  and  others ; 
and  the  resolutions  were  carried  with  immense 
applause. 

It  must,  however,  be  added  that  the  Voluntaries, 
or  Anti-State  Educationists,  did  not  put  in  an  appear- 
ance at  this  meeting.  They  made  a  requisition  to 
the  mayor  to  summon  another  public  meeting  in  the 
Cloth  Hall  Yard,  for  the  purpose  of  petitioning 
Parliament  against  the  measure  then  before  the 
House  of  Commons.  The  meeting  was  held  accord- 
ingly on  the  1 6th  of  April;  and  there  the  pitched 
battle  was  fought.  The  resolution  against  the  Bill 
was  moved  by  Alderman  Carbutt,  and  supported 
by  the  Rev.  Mr  Williams,  Mr  Edward  Baines, 
and  others.  Mr  Hamer  Stansfeld  moved,  and  I 
seconded,  an  amendment  in  favour  of  the  Bill :  this 
was  ably  supported  by  Mr  Councillor  Barker,  and 
after  much  vigorous  speaking  the  amendment  was 
declared  to  be  carried. 

This,  however,  was  only  the  beginning  of  the 
agitation.  In  the  following  year,  two  schemes  were 
started  at  Manchester — one  the  National  Public 
School  Association,  of  which  Mr  Cobden  was  among 
the  principal  advocates,  and  the  other  the  Rev.  Mr 
Richson's  plan.  The  leading  system  of  both  was 
that  the  public  schools  were  to  be  maintained  by  local 
rates,  and  subject  to  responsible  local  management. 
I  entered  again  into  communication  with  Mr  Cobden, 
and  received  from  him  the  following  letter,  which  will 
explain  his  views  on  the  subject ; — 


1851]         COBDEN   ON   EDUCATION  169 

"Exhibition  Building,  Kensington  Road, 
"London,  loth  October-  185 1. 

"My  dear  Sir,^ — 

"It  appears  to  me  that  the  education 
question,  in  its  practical  shape,  is  being  fought  out 
now  in  the  wards  and  congregations  of  Manchester. 
The  '  National '  and  the  '  Manchester  and  Salford 
Plan 'are  those  under  discussion;  and  it  appears  to 
me  that  the  prevailing  form  of  opinion  is  in  favour  of 
the  latter.  If  so,  a  private  Bill  will  be  applied  for, 
applicable  to  Manchester  only,  and  will,^  I  have  no 
doubt,  be  obtained  ;  and  in  that  case  it  will  probably 
become  a  model  for  other  places.  I  do  not  disguise 
from  myself  that  the  '  Manchester  and  Salford  Plan ' 
will  be  to  a  great  extent  a  new  endowment  of  all 
religions. 

"As  a  Churchman,  I  could  not,  of  course,  pretend 
that  it  violates  my  conscience.  But  I  thought  that 
it  would  be  differently  viewed  by  Dissenters  ;  and  in 
justice  to  them  I  made  an  effort  to  carry  the  Secular 
System.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  the  latter  scheme 
has  been  met  by  the  more  influential  part  of  the 
Dissenters  with  more  opposition  than  the  Manchester 
and  Salford  Plan ;  and  I  therefore  consider  that  for 
the  present  it  is  hopeless  to  contend  against  the 
Church  and  Dissent. 

"  So  strongly  am  I  impressed  with  the  necessity  of 
some  progress  being  made  in  the  education  of  the 
people,  that  I  do  not  feel  myself  justified  in  opposing 
any  plan  having  that  object  in  view ;  and  therefore, 
unless  the  majority  of  the  people  of  Manchester 
oppose  the  local  scheme,  I  shall  certainly  not  do  so. 
If  it  be  carried,  I  have  no  doubt  Leeds  will  soon 
apply  for  a  similar  Act. 

"  I  think  the  course  pursued  by  the  Dissenters  is 
most  unfortunate  for  the  cause  of  education,  and  most 
unwise  with  regard  to  the  interests  of  *  Voluntary- 
ism ' ;  but  the  latter  is  their  own  affair.  At  one  thing 
I  am  greatly  surprised — that  they  should  so  little 
understand  the  tendency  of  public  opinion  as  to 
dream  for  a  moment  that  they  can  prevent ^/j!;^:^  and 
every  scheme  of  public  education  from;being  adopted. 
But,  as  I  grow  older,  I  expect  less  wisdom  or  consists 
ency  from  public  bodies. — Believe  me,  in  haste,  your- 
truly,  R.  CoBDEN." 


170    END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

The  agitation  went  on  for  some  time.  Mr 
Edward  Baines  (afterwards  Sir  Edward),  the  great 
leader  of  the  ''Voluntaries,"  delivered  a  lecture  in 
the  Stock  Exchange  Hall  of  Leeds,  urging  the 
adequacy  of  voluntary  effort  to  educate  the  rising 
generation.  In  fairness  to  the  Public  School  Asso- 
ciation, whose  views  I  advocated,  Mr  Baines  gener- 
ously permitted  me  to  answer  his  lecture  in  the 
columns  of  the  Leeds  Mercury,  of  which  he  was 
editor.  My  answer  was  afterwards  published  and 
circulated  gratuitously  by  the  National  Public 
School  Association  at  Manchester.  Mr  Cobden 
again  wrote  to  me  from  Midhurst,  Sussex,  and 
said : — 

"  I  beg  to  thank  you  for  taking  up  the  cudgels  for 
common  ^  sense  and  common  prudence.  What  an 
extraordinary  spectacle  it  is  to  see  our  friend  Baines 
fighting  against  both  !  How  any  man,  honest  as  he 
undoubtedly  is,  with  eyes  open,  and  walking  in  the 
paths  of  active  life,  can  endeavour  to  reconcile  us  to 
the  present  state  of  the  education  of  the  masses, 
passes  my  comprehension." 

And  again  : — 

**  Many  thanks  for  your  favour  and  papers.  The 
facts  contained  in  your  letter  respecting  the  failures  of 
Voluntaryism  (^^voluntaryism  would  be  better)  in 
Leeds,  ought  to^  silence  our  good  friend  of  The 
Mercury.  But  his  sound  and  acute  intellect  is  evi- 
dently under  the  influence  of  monomania  upon  the 
education  question.  It  is  only  this  that  can  account 
for  the  fallacious  way  in  which  he  persists  in  arguing 
against  a  centralised govern7nent  scheme,  when  every- 
body but  himself  knows  that  what  we  all  want  is  a 
parochial  or  municipal  plan,  w^hich  he  is  doing  his 
utmost  to  prevent  us  from  obtaining. 

"  In  a  later  article,  almost  entirely  devoted  to  this 
argument,  he  uses  the  word  'Government'  or 
'  State '  about  thirty  times.  How  is  it  possible 
ever  to  come  to  an  end  in  a  controversy  when  one 


1851]          LETTERS  FROM  COBDEN  171 

of  the  disputants  thus  persists  in  starting-  from 
fallacious  premises?  The  quotation  frorn  Justice 
Coleridge  is  the  true  answer  to  Mr  Baines's  school 
statistics. 

''The  fact  is  the  children  of  the  poor  do  not 
learn  enough  to  enable  them  in  after  life  to  read  with 
ease  or  pleasure.  The  schools  are  often  mere  pre- 
tences for  education — sometimes,  indeed,  put  up  to 
prevent  somebody  else  from  educating  the  people. 
There  is  too  much  truth  in  the  remark  made  by 
Archbishop  Whately  at  Manchester — that  some 
people  join  in  the  education  movement  for  the 
purpose  of  thwarting  it.  If  we  were  half  as  anxious 
for  the  education  of  the  people  as  we  pretend, 
don't  you  think  we  should  manage  to  get  over  the 
sectarian  impediments  that  are  now  allowed  to 
impede  us? 

''  I  observe  what  you  say  about  starting  a  news- 
paper in  London.*  If  I  were  bent  upon  a  specula- 
tion in  Cockney  journalism,  I  would  reserve  myself 
till  the  compulsory  stamp  is  abolished,  which  must 
be  ere  long.  It  is  too  gross  a  proof  of  the  hypocrisy 
of  our  advocacy  of  education  to  put  fetters  on  the  press 
and  taxes  upon  the  raw  materials  of  its  manufacture. 
When  the  stamp  is  off,  we  shall  have  papers  of  all 
sizes  and  prices ;  and  the  largest  circulation  will  be 
the  London  penny  and  halfpenny  dailies.  These 
will  not  take  the  place  of  the  Thnes,  which  is  now 
the  cheapest  paper  in  the  world — talent,  size,  and 
cost  of  production,  taken  into  consideration  ;  but 
they  will  supply  the  wants  of  those  who  do  not 
require  so  expensive  and  elaborate  an  article  as  the 
Times. 

"Have  you  seen  the  article  against  the  removal 
of  the  stamp  in  the  Edinburgh  Review?  It  argues 
that  the  newspaper  proprietors  and  the  public  are 
gainers  by  the  present  system  of  compelling  each 
copy  of  the  paper  to  be  stamped,  but  giving  in  return 
the  privilege  of  retransmission  for  any  number  of 
turns   by  post.      Now,   I    meet   this  argument,  put 

*  As  the  amalgamation  of  the  Railway  Company  with  which  I 
was  connected,  with  two  other  adjacent  companies,  was  under  con- 
sideration— which  would  probably  put  an  end  to  my  services  as  a 
railway  secretary — I  at  one  time  contemplated  such  an  event. 


172      END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

forth  by  the  old-established  journals,  with  this  pro- 
posal. I  will  allow  all  existing-  newspapers  to  retain 
their  present  privilege  of  retransmission,  provided 
they  continue  to  stamp  their  whole  impression  ;  allow- 
ing all  papers  hereafter  established  the  option  of 
stamping  or  not,  but  giving  them  the  privilege  of 
sending  their  stamped  copies  once  only,  with  the 
same  starnp,  through  the  post.  How  long  would  the 
old  proprietors  continue  to  argue  that  the  present 
system  is  most  advantagous  for  the  press  and  the 
public  ? 

"  The  Reviewer,  who  is  the  conductor  of  an  old 
established  Free  Trade  (in  corn)  paper,  lays  great 
stress  on  the  fact  that  people  retransmit  the  sd. 
papers  through  the  post  several  times,  and  continue 
to  read  them  three  or  four  days  after  publication. 
That  is — not  being  able  to  buy  a  paper  at  first  hand, 
they  take  it  second  hand.  It  is  about  the  last  article 
which  in  America  could  be  sold  at  any  price  on  such 
conditions.  Poor  people,  in  the  village  where  I  am 
writing  (Dunford,  Midhurst),  are  glad  to  take  my 
tea  leaves  the  day  after  I  have  used  them ;  but  what 
a  strange  argument  it  would  be,  if  I  were  to  use  that 
fact  as  a  reason  why  the  duty  should  not  be  taken 
off  tea!" 


Two  years  after  the  above  meeting  held  in  the 
Cloth  Hall  Yard,  when  the  amendment  was  carried 
in  favour  of  local  rates  and  local  administration, 
another  meeting  was  called  to  petition  against  the 
Bill  then  before  Parliament,  for  the  promotion  of 
education  in  cities  and  boroughs  in  England.  It  was 
held  on  the  13th  of  June  1853.  I  was  in  London  on 
parliamentary  business  at  the  time,  but  I  was  after- 
wards informed  that  the  notice  of  the  meeting  had 
been  given  in  the  dissenting  chapels,  and  that  the 
Voluntaries  mustered  very  strongly  at  the  public 
meeting  held  in  the  Coloured  Cloth  Hall  Yard.  Mr 
James  Garth  Marshall  moved  the  resolution  in  favour 
of  National  Education  ;  an  amendment  against  the 


1853]    PRIVATE   BILL  LEGISLATION      173 

Bill  was  proposed  by  Mr  Alderman  Carbutt>  and, 
being-  put  to  the  meeting-,  was  declared  to  be  carried. 
Thus  the  resolution  carried  at  the  first  public 
meeting  was  negatived  by  that  carried  at  the  second 
public  meeting  held  two  years  later. 

I  may  here  give  a  further  communication  received 
from  Mr  Cobden.  I  believe  the  first  part  of  the 
letter  refers  to  some  articles  which  I  was  solicited  to 
write  for  a  Glasgow  newspaper,  called  (I  think)  The 
Constitutional,  in  which  I  recommended  the  adoption 
of  some  method  of  local  legislation,  by  which  much 
expense  might  be  saved,  and  the  time  of  the 
Imperial  Parliament  greatly  economised.  The  idea 
of  bringing^  numbers  of  witnesses  from  the  remotest 
parts  of  the  empire,  on  some  Gas  Bill,  or  Drainage 
Bill,  or  Water  Bill,  or  Railway  Bill,  seemed  to  me 
absurd,  and  I  cited  many  reasons  for  the  adoption  of 
my  proposed  measure.  Hence  Mr  Cobden's  refer- 
ence to  it. 

"MiDHURST,  i^th  November  1853. 

**  My  DEAR  Sir, — 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  the  tendency  of  both 
your  articles. 

"As  respects  local  legislation,  I  think  it  would  be 
a  great  step  in  your  direction  if  we  had  general  Acts 
passed,  applicable  to  the  current  wants  of  towns  or 
districts,  the  provisions  of  which  might  be  applied 
voluntarily  by  the  majority  of  the  locality,  in  the  way 
in  which  the  Municipal  Corporation  Act  can  be 
applied  to  a  town.  But  I  would  make  it  more  easy 
than  by  a  reference  to  the  Privy  Council :  and  here 
your  idea  of  local  legislatures  might  be  brought  to 
bear.  For  instance,  why  should  not  we  have  a 
general  lighting-,  watering-,  improving,  educating, 
etc..  Act? — each  containing  provisions  applicable  to 
any  locality  ?  But  the  truth  is,  our  governing  class 
is  at  heart  (notwithstanding  great  professions)  not 
fond  of  increasing  the  power  of  local  self-govern- 
ment. 


174      END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

''As  respects  your  other  article  on  Strikes,  1 
think  what  is  gfenerally  wanted  is  a  more  thorough 
recognition  of  the  rights  of  individuals.  Depend 
on  it,  there  is  a  spice  of  despotisrn  at  the  bottom 
of  all  this  intervention  by  combined  bodies  in 
the  concerns  of  individuals — and  you  know  how 
abjectly  subservient  the  working-classes  are  to  the 
dictation  of  a  trades-union  junta.  I  think  we  shall 
not  get  right  till  there  is  a  revolt  against  all  such 
organisations,  whether  on  one  side  or  another,  in 
the  interest  of  //^^r/j/-— personal  liberty.  The 
much  greater  respect  felt  between  both  classes  and 
individuals  for  one  another  in  these  social  questions 
in  America,  arises  from  the  far  higher  respect  felt 
for  the  personal  liberty  of  Man,  as  such,  than  we,  with 
all  our  boasting,  really  feel.  The  vices  of  a  hard, 
overbearing  regime,  natural  to  our  aristocratic  form 
of  government,  enter  into  all  the  relations  of  life,  both 
social  and  political,  and  no  class  is  free  from  ^  the 
taint.  We  are  an  overbearing  people,  to  other  nations 
and  to  ourselves. 

'*  By  the  way,  apropos  of  our  old  question,  which 
lies  at  the  bottom  of  all  others,  I  observe  that  our 
friend  Baines,  in  his  last  week's  paper,  has  a  letter  to 
prove  how  much  progress  we  are  making  in  schooling, 
and  he  gives  sorne  statistics  to  show  that  we  have, 
during  the  last  eighteen  or  twenty  years,  increased 
our  schools  to  the  extent  of  7000 ;  and  he  takes 
credit  to  the  voluntary  svstent  for  all  this.  But  this 
is  just  the  time  during  which  our  wretchedly  imperfect 
government  system  has  been  at  work,  and  in  which 
we  have  made  Government  Grants  to  the  extent  of 
a  million  or  a  million  and  a  half  sterling  for  building 
schools,  which  would  go  a  great  way  towards  erecting 
all  the  school-houses  named.  But  many  of  these 
schools,  so  far  from  giving  education,  are  really  little 
better  than  pretences  for  not  educating  the  people. — 
Yours  very  truly, 

"R.    COBDEN." 


In  this  position  the  educational  question  continued 
for  many  years ;  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  the 
agitation  in  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  ripened  the 


1853]  VOLUNTAEY  v.  STATE  EDUCATION  175 

opinions  of  many  leading  men  on  the  subject.  At  last, 
when  Household  Suffrage  in  towns  was  granted  by 
the  Conservative  Government  of  Lord  Derby  in  1867, 
and  it  was  found  that  there  must  be  a  measure  of 
National  Education,  in  order  to  enable  the  new  con- 
stituencies properly  to  use  their  powers,  the  prejudices 
of  the  Dissenters  in  favour  of  voluntary  education 
were  suddenly  swept  to  one  side  by  public  opinion ; 
and  Mr  Forster,  member  for  Bradford,  by  a  rare 
union  of  tact,  wisdom,  and  common  sense,  introduced 
and  carried  his  measure  for  the  long-wished-for 
education  of  the  English  people.  It  embodied  nearly 
all  that  the  National  Public  School  Association  had 
so  fruitlessly  demanded  years  before ;  and  on  the 
whole,  it  has  till  now  worked  fairly  well.  In  course 
of  time,  its  defects,  to  which  all  things  human  are 
liable,  will  doubtless  be  remedied. 

It  is  curious  to  see  how  public  bodies  can  so 
summarily  "jump  Jim  Crow."  Some  forty  years  ago, 
the  English  Dissenters  insisted  that  public  education 
could  only  be  obtained  as  the  result  of  voluntary 
effort.  Then,  when  it  became  manifest  that  volun- 
tary education  was  giving  an  advantage  to  the 
Established  Church  (whose  members  were  more 
liberal  with  their  money),  they  repudiated  volun- 
taryism, in  regard  to  the  education  of  the  young ; 
and  at  last  they  have  become  the  most  vehement 
advocates  of  State-  and  Rate-supported  education 
in  the  country.  The  Dissenters  now  ardently  sup- 
port Board  Schools,  while  Churchmen  have  assumed 
the  position  (which  Dissenters  have  abandoned)  of 
Voluntary  Educationists ! 

During  the  last  three  years  that  I  lived  in 
Leeds,  I  remained  quietly  within  my  shell.  I  took 
no    part    in   public    meetings   of  any  sort.     I    was 


176    END  OF  RESIDENCE  IN  LEEDS 

occupied  In  pushing  forward  the  amalgamation  of  the 
Leeds  Northern  Company  with  the  York,  Newcastle, 
and  Berwick,  and  the  York  and  North  Midland 
Companies.  The  first-named  company  had  extended 
its  lines  Into  Durham,  thus  linking  itself  to  the 
Stockton  and  Darlington  Railway,  the  Clarence 
Railway,  the  Stockton  and  Hartlepool  Railway,  and 
the  York,  Newcastle,  and  Berwick  Railway.  Steps 
were  taken  to  extend  the  line  from  Ferryhlll  on  the 
Clarence  line,  by  Durham,  Chester-le-Street,  and 
along  the  Team  Valley,  to  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
The  line  was  surveyed,  the  plans  were  deposited, 
the  public  along  the  valley  generally  supported  the 
project ;  and  there  seemed  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  Act  would  be  carried,  but  unfortunately, 
the  line,  as  first  laid  out,  came  too  near  the 
Durham  Observatory.  The  working  of  the  heavy 
locomotives  so  near  would  cause  some  aberration 
of  the  Instruments,  and  the  directors  of  the  Observa- 
tory resolved  to  oppose  the  measure.  To  get  rid  of 
their  opposition,  an  agreement  was  entered  into  to 
the  effect  that  If  the  Act  were  granted,  the  line  as 
laid  out  would  not  be  made,  but  a  deviation  through 
the  city  of  Durham  would  be  applied  for  in  a  future 
session  of  Parliament.  This  proved  fatal  to  the  Bill. 
The  agreement  was  read  before  the  committee  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  there  was  an  end  of  the 
application. 

In  the  next  session  of  Parliament,  however,  sup- 
ported by  the  locality,  new  plans  were  prepared, 
avoiding  the  Observatory,  and  proposing  to  supply  a 
much  more  convenient  station  in  the  High  Street  of 
Durham.  The  directors  of  the  York,  Newcastle,  and 
Berwick  Company,  seeing  the  probability  of  a  new 
and  rival  line  being  established  in  the  heart  of  this 


1853]  LAST  DAYS  AT  LEEDS  177 

important  district,  wisely  resolved  to  bring-  the  com- 
petition to  an  end,  by  entering  into  an  arrangement 
for  the  amalgamation,  not  only  of  the  Leeds  Northern 
Railway,  but  of  the  York  and  North  Midland  Rail- 
way, which  extended  to  Hull,  Doncaster,  Normanton, 
and  Leeds.  Conferences  of  directors  accordingly 
took  place.  Offers  were  made,  discussed,  altered,  and 
improved ;  and  at  last  were  laid  before  the  share- 
holders of  the  respective  companies.  These  negotia- 
tions extended  over  many  months,  and  even  years  ; 
and  finally,  when  everything  was  settled,  it  was  my 
lot  to  draw  up  the  report  for  the  proprietors  of  my 
company,  urging  the  necessity  of  their  giving  assent 
to  the  amalgamation. 

I  felt,  when  signing  the  final  report,  as  if  it 
were  driving  the  last  nail  into  my  own  coffin.  But 
it  was  the  best  thing  to  be  done  for  all  parties — 
for  the  public  as  well  as  for  the  shareholders ;  and  I 
did  the  work  to  the  best  of  my  power.  Eventually, 
the  shareholders  of  all  the  companies  agreed  to  the 
amalgamation,  on  a  certain  clearly  understood  divi- 
sion of  the  net  profits.  The  final  resolutions  were 
carried ;  the  Leeds  Northern  Railway  came  to  an 
end ;  and  I  prepared  to  go  over  to  Newcastle  with 
the  books,  to  have  the  shares  registered  in  the  books 
of  the  amalgamated  company. 


M 


CHAPTER  XII 

NEWCASTLE  AND  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

I  WENT  over  to  Newcastle  in  the  summer  of  1854. 
I  took  with  me  the  books,  reports,  minutes,  and 
correspondence,  to  place  them  in  the  archives  of 
the  amalgamated  company.  There  was  still  a  good 
deal  of  work  to  be  done,  as  was  likely  to  be  the  case 
with  so  large  a  concern ;  and  I  was  told  that  if  I 
would  write  a  letter,  there  was  likely  to  be  an  opening 
made  for  me,  into  which  I  could  fit  nicely.  As  I 
had  been  of  some  use  in  pushing  on  the  amalgama- 
tion, and  had  worked  hard  for  its  completion,  some 
of  the  directors  thought  that  I  might  still  be  retained 
in  the  service  of  the  company. 

There  was  not,  perhaps,  much  room  in  the  offices 
of  the  Central  Station  at  Newcastle ;  so  I  was  put 
into  a  waiting-room  alongside  the  secretary's  office, 
lit  by  a  skylight ;  and  there  I  worked  among  my 
papers  and  correspondence.  It  was  rather  fruitless 
and  monotonous  work.  There  was  little  special 
business  to  do.  I  never  saw  the  Board,  and  only 
once  attended  a  committee  meeting  of  the  directors. 
Mr  Bourne  introduced  me  to  some  of  his  friends  at 
Newcastle;  but  I  was  comparatively  alone  in  the 
place,  and  away  from  my  family,  who  were  still  at 
Leeds ;  as  well  as  from  my  acquaintances  in  that 

178 


1854]  NEWCASTLE  179 

neighbourhood.  As  the  central  offices  were  only  to 
be  temporarily  at  Newcastle,  and  as  it  was  proposed 
to  remove  them  to  York,  I  waited  to  see  what  the 
result  might  be  as  regarded  myself,  I  took  lodgings 
in  the  Elswick  Road,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  go 
to  York  and  look  after  a  house  there,  in  the  event  of 
my  being  removed  to  that  city. 

Meanwhile,  in  order  to  occupy  my  evenings,  I 
proceeded  to  make  some  inquiry  about  the  early 
history  of  George  Stephenson,  of  whom  I  had 
published  a  brief  account  some  five  years  before,  in  a 
London  journal.  It  was  fine  summer  weather;  the 
days  were  long  and  fair  ;  and  the  places  to  be  visited 
were  all  within  easy  reach  of  Newcastle.  After  my 
work  at  the  office,  I  could  leave  the  station,  and 
spend  a  few  hours  on  making  inquiries,  then  home 
by  the  late  train  about  ten  o'clock.  On  Saturday 
afternoons,  when  the  office  work  ended  at  two,  there 
was  still  more  time  for  my  investigations. 

I  went  first  to  Wylam,  Stephenson's  birthplace. 
I  found  the  cottage  at  High  Street  House — the 
red-tiled,  rubble  house,  in  which  the  great  engineer 
had  been  born.  I  entered,  and  asked  the  old  woman 
if  this  was  the  place.  "Aye,"  she  said,  "Geordie 
was  born  here,  in  this  very  room."  Everybody  knew 
him  as  ''Geordie."  I  asked  if  there  was  any  old 
person  in  the  neighbourhood  who  knew  old  Robert 
Stephenson,  his  father.  ''Yes,"  she  answered, 
"  there's  auld  Kit  Heppell,  wha  kennt  him  verra  weel." 
After  looking  over  the  place,  and  observing  the 
colliery  waggon  road  which  still  lay  in  front  of  the 
door,  I  went  to  the  village  of  Wylam,  past  the  old 
pumping  engines  and  disused  locomotives,  and 
found  Kit  Heppel.  He  was  an  old  man,  but  had 
still  plenty  of  life  in  him.     ''  Yes,  he  knew  Old  Bob, 


180  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

Geordle's  fayther.  He  wur  like  a  pair  o'  deals  nailed 
thegfether,  and  a  bit  o'  flesh  i'  th'  inside — as  queer 
as  Dick's  hatband :  went  thrice  aboot,  an'  wudn't 
tie.  His  wife  Mabel  wur  a  delicat'  boddie,  and 
varry  flighty.  I  kennt  them  verra  weel :  they  wur 
an  honest  family,  but  sair  hadden  doon  i'  th'  world." 
Then  he  told  me  of  the  small  earnings  of  Old  Bob, 
and  the  difficulty  he  had  in  bringing  up  his  family 
of  six  children  ;  of  his  love  for  birds  and  animals,  and 
the  stories  he  told  to  the  children  by  his  engine-fire ; 
and  of  his  having  left  Wylam  when  the  coal  was 
"worked  oot,"  and  gone  to  live  at  Dewley  Burn, 
near  Throckley  Colliery. 

On  another  evening,  I  went  to  Ovingham,  to 
ascertain  whether  George  Stephenson's  birth  had  been 
registered  there.  The  village  of  Ovingham  is 
situated  further  up  the  Tyne.  Thomas  Bewick,  the 
reviver  of  the  art  of  wood-engraving,  was  born  near 
it,  at  Cherryburn,  a  single  house  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river.  The  stream  here  pours  over  a  gravelly, 
shallow  bed,  and  ripples  past  willowy  islands,  while 
little  villages  peep  out  from  amidst  the  thick  foliage. 
The  scene  is  perfectly  rural,  and  entirely  free  from 
the  smoke  of  coal  engines.  Not  far  off  is  the  fine 
old  ruin  of  Prudhoe  Castle,  protected  by  a  deep 
fosse,  formerly  crossed  by  a  drawbridge.  Ovingham 
is  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tyne,  and  the  river  is 
crossed  by  means  of  a  ferryboat — 

"  O,  where  is  the  boatman,  my  bonny  hinney  ? 
O,  where  is  the  boatman  ?  bring  him  to  me — 
To  ferry  me  over  the  Tyne  to  my  honey, 

And  I  will  remember  the  boatman  and  thee." 

I  was  ferried  across  ;  but  found  no  record  in  the 
register  of  the  birth  of  George  Stephenson.  I 
observed  the  tombstones  of  the   Carrs    (to  whose 


1854]    GEOEGE  STEPHENSON'S  HOME    181 

family  Georgfe  Stephenson's  mother  belonged)  under- 
neath the  central  window  at  the  east  end  of  the  church, 
as  well  as  the  tombstone  of  Thomas  Bewick,  under 
the  western  gable.  Although  my  expedition  was 
fruitless,  I  enjoyed  the  beautiful  evening,  and  the 
lovely  scenery. 

I  afterwards  went  to  Heddon-on- the- Wall,  to 
inspect  the  register  there ;  but  no  record  of  George 
Stephenson's  birth  could  be  found.  The  probability 
was,  that  it  was  not  registered,  as  in  former  times 
registrations  were  very  imperfectly  conducted.  Most 
of  the  places  in  the  line  of  road  from  east  to  west, 
have  the  name  of  ''wall"  attached  to  them — being  in 
the  direction  of  the  old  Roman  road.  They  begin  at 
Walsend,  or  at  the  end  of  the  wall,  below  Newcastle  ; 
and  extend  westward  through  Walbottle,  Heddon- 
on- the- Wall,  Wall  Houses,  Wall,  Walwick,  Walton, 
and  so  on,  as  far  westward  as  Bowness  on  the 
Sol  way,  where  the  Roman  wall  ended.  At  Heddon- 
on-the-Wall,  the  vallum  passed  through  the  centre 
of  the  village. 

I  followed  up  my  search  by  degrees.  On  another 
fine  evening,  I  left  the  train  at  Ryton  Station,  was 
ferried  across  the  Tyne,  and  made  my  way  to  Dewley 
Burn,  where  old  Robert  Stephenson  lived  for  a  time 
with  his  family,  and  where  his  son  George  first  began 
to  work  for  his  daily  bread.  Near  the  house  where 
he  lived,  are  to  be  seen  the  burn  and  the  clay-pits 
where  he  used  to  make  his  dirt-pies  with  his  com- 
panion Bill  Thirlwall,  and  afterwards  his  model  clay 
engines,  using  the  hemlocks  for  imaginary  steam- 
pipes.  It  was  curious  to  find  how  interested  the 
people  were  in  communicating  everything  they  knew 
about  **Geordie."  Colliers,  brakesmen,  enginemen, 
and  others — all  who  had  known  him  intimately,  or 


182  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

had  worked  with  him,  or  had  even  heard  traditions 
of  him,  were  equally  willing^  to  help.  There  was  no 
jealousy  about  him.  He  was  one  of  themselves,  and 
they  were  proud  of  him.  He  had  toiled  amongst 
them  with  his  hands,  worked  his  way  up  persever- 
ingly  from  one  position  to  another,  and  after  he  had 
been  lifted  by  his  genius  to  the  highest  position,  they 
were  prouder  of  him  than  ever.  What  Robert  NicoU 
said  of  Robert  Burns  might  be  applied  to  him — 

"  Before  the  proudest  of  the  earth 
We  stand,  with  an  uplifted  brow  ; 
Like  us,  thou  wast  a  toiling  man — 
And  we  are  noble  now." 

On  another  occasion,  I  crossed  the  fields  to 
Callerton  Pits — the  fields  where  George,  when  a  boy, 
had  pulled  turnips  at  twopence  the  day,  ''and  many 
a  cold  finger,"  he  said,  '*  I  had."  The  pits  are  now 
all  closed,  but  I  saw  the  place  where  George  had  first 
driven  the  gin-horse  at  an  increased  wage  of  eight- 
pence.  A  collier  who  remembered  him,  described 
him  as  **a  grit  growing  lad,  with  bare  legs  and  feet." 
And  he  described,  with  great  gusto,  Geordie's  fight 
with  Ned  Nelson,  the  bully  of  Black  Callerton. 

Another  visit  was  made  to  Newburn  on  the 
Tyne,  where  George  was  first  taken  on  as  assist- 
ant fireman,  and  afterwards  promoted  to  be  full  fire- 
man. When  his  wages  were  raised  to  twelve  shillings 
a  week,  he  declared  himself  to  be  ''a  made  man  for 
life  " !  There  he  learnt  to  read  and  cast-up  accounts, 
and  fairly  entered  upon  the  work  of  self-education. 
A  brief  interruption  occurred.  He  fell  in  love  with 
Fanny  Henderson,  and  married  her  at  the  parish 
church.  I  found  her  marriage  duly  registered,  and 
took  a  tracing  of  it.  Both  the  signatures  were 
written   in   the  hand  of  the  bridegroom,  who  had 


1854]        TRACES   OF   STEPHENSON  183 

evidently  brushed  them  over  with  his  sleeve  before 
they  were  dry.  After  the  marriage,  the  couple  rode 
off  to  Willington  Quay,  George  s  young  wife  riding 
on  a  pillion  behind  him,  and  holding  on  by  his  waist. 

I  next  went  to  Willington  Quay,  fifteen  miles 
down  the  Tyne,  to  see  the  house  where  the  newly 
wedded  pair  had  taken  up  their  abode.  It  was 
standing  then,  though  it  has  since  been  removed  to 
give  place  to  the  Stephenson  Memorial  Schools.  But 
it  would  have  been  better  to  keep  the  birthplace  of 
Robert  Stephenson  as  it  stood.  It  was  at  Willing- 
ton  that  George  took  charge  of  the  engine  at  the 
Ballast  Hill,  and  in  his  spare  hours  worked  at  self 
improvement.  William  Fairbairn  (afterwards  Sir 
William)  told  me  that  he  had  known  George 
Stephenson  well  while  living  by  the  quayside — that 
he  often  visited  him  at  his  fireside,  and  admired  the 
neatness,  cleanness,  and  tidiness  of  his  wife  and  her 
household  arrangements.  Fairbairn  used  to  take 
charge  of  George's  engine  to  enable  him  to  earn  a 
few  extra  shillings  in  the  evening  by  heaving  ballast 
out  of  the  ships'  holds.  He  said  he  also  remembered 
George's  taking  to  clock-cleaning  and  shoe-making, 
and  that  there  was  scarcely  anything  to  which  he 
was  not  willing  to  put  his  hand.  William  Coe  in- 
formed me  that  he  had  bought  a  pair  of  shoes,  of 
George  Stephenson's  make,  for  7s.  6d.,  and  they 
were  not  only  cheap,  but  excellent. 

My  next  visit  was  to  Edward  Pease,  father  of  all 
the  Peases,  at  Darlington.  I  wrote  to  him  and 
requested  an  interview  on  any  Saturday  afternoon — 
that  being  my  holiday,  and  the  only  day  on  which  I 
could  conveniently  leave  Newcastle.  He  kindly 
granted  my  request,  and  mentioned  a  day  on  which 
I  could  meet  him.     I  went  out  one  Saturday  after- 


184  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

noon,  and  saw  the  fine  old  man.  It  was  a  pleasure  to 
meet  such  a  cheerful,  beneficent  gentleman.  He  was 
eig"hty-eight  when  I  saw  him,  and  he  was  as  bright 
and  hopeful  and  as  communicative  as  ever.  ''  Aye !  " 
he  said,  ''and  you  are  inquiring  about  the  beginning 
of  the  railway  ?  It  is  truly  a  wonderful  story ! "  And 
then  he  told  me  of  how  the  project  of  the  line  from 
Darlington  to  Stockton  was  started — how  the  canal 
was  first  proposed,  and  Brindley,  and  Whitworth,  and 
Dodd,  and  Rennie,  suggested  their  schemes — how 
Stockton  waited  for  Darlington,  and  Darlington 
waited  for  Stockton,  and  yet  nothing  was  done. 
Then  in  1810  a  railway  was  proposed,  but  the 
committee  went  to  sleep.  Canals  and  railways — 
railways  and  canals  ;  still  no  progress.  And  yet  the 
coal  owners  were  very  anxious  to  get  their  coals  to 
York  as  well  as  to  the  sea.  *'  I  got  my  friends,"  said 
Mr  Pease,  ''to  subscribe  for  shares  in  a  railway  in 
1 8 1 8,  but  we  were  defeated  in  three  successive  sessions 
by  the  Duke  of  Cleveland.  Still  we  persevered.  I 
wrote  letters,  which  were  published  in  a  York  news- 
paper, showing  the  uses  of  a  railway  worked  by 
horses.  We  thought  nothing  of  the  locomotive  at 
that  time.  At  last  we  got  our  Act.  But  Mr 
Lambton,  afterwards  the  Earl  of  Durham,  had  a 
proviso  inserted  requiring  us  to  charge  only  a  half- 
penny per  ton  per  mile  for  all  coal  intended  for 
shipment  at  Stockton.  This  was  to  prevent  our  line 
being  used  in  competition  against  his  coal  shipped  at 
Sunderland.  Although  we  thought  it  might  be 
ruinous,  it  actually  proved  our  safety."* 

Then  he  went  on  to  speak  of  the  first  interview 
he  had  had  with  George  Stephenson  and  Nicholas 

*  It  was  thought  that  this  low  rate  would  ruin  the  venture.     See 
Life  of  George  Stephenson^  Centenary  Edition,  p.  70. — Ed. 


1854]  VISIT   TO   MR  PEASE  185 

Wood.  The  two  strangers  from  Killing-worth  called 
upon  him  one  day,  and  Nicholas  introduced  his  com- 
panion as  the  engine-wright  at  Killingworth,  who 
knew  a  good  deal  about  railways  and  locomotives. 
**The  Locomotive"  was  a  new  word  for  Mr  Pease, 
but  eventually  he  was  to  become  very  familiar  with 
it.  He  told  the  strangers  that  their  whole  calculations 
had  been  based  on  the  employment  of  horse  power. 
But  Stephenson  told  him  that  the  locomotive  would 
eventually  supersede  the  use  of  horse  power  upon 
railroads.  "  I  have  been  using  the  engine,"  he  said, 
since  1814,  to  draw  coals  from  the  pit  to  the  loading 
station  on  the  Tyne ;  and  I  am  certain  that  it  is  the 
power  best  suited  to  your  wants.  But  come  over  to 
Killingworth,"  he  concluded,  ''and  see  my  locomotive 
at  work." 

After  a  long  conversation  the  strangers  left,  to 
walk  home  through  Durham  to  Newcastle.  Mr 
Pease  was  much  impressed  by  the  interview.  He 
took  the  opportunity  soon  after  of  going  over  to 
Killingworth,  where  he  inquired  for  ''George 
Stephenson,  Esquire,  Engineer."  No  one  knew  of 
such  a  person.  At  length,  after  much  conversation 
among  the  old  women  and  neighbours,  one  of  them 
asked  if  it  was  not  "Geordie  the  engine- wright "  that 
he  wanted.  "No  doubt,"  he  answered,  "it  is  the 
engineer  who  works  the  locomotive."  Then  George 
Stephenson  was  found,  and  proceeded  to  show  off 
before  Mr  Pease  the  qualities  of  his  wonderful 
engine.  The  result  of  the  interview,  first  in  Mr 
Pease's  house  at  Darlington,  and  afterwards  on  the 
waggon  way  at  Killingworth,  was  that  George  was 
appointed  the  engineer  of  the  Stockton  and  Darlington 
Railway,  and  that  it  was  eventually  determined  to 
use  the  locomotive  on  trial  for  working  the  railway 


186   NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

when  made.  Not  only  so,  but  Mr  Pease  was  so 
strongly  satisfied  with  the  importance  of  the  new 
invention,  that  when  Stephenson  proposed  to 
establish  a  manufactory  in  Newcastle  for  the 
building  of  locomotive  engines,  he  joined  with  him 
in  the  adventure,  and  became  a  partner  in  the 
undertaking,  which  eventually  proved  exceedingly 
prosperous. 

After  much  interesting  conversation  with  Mr 
Pease,  and  a  walk  with  him  through  the  rapidly 
improving  town,  I  remained  to  dine  with  him  and  his 
daughter :  and  left  for  Newcastle,  freighted  with 
valuable  information,  by  a  late  train.  But  I  need  not 
give  the  particulars  here,  as  I  have  related  them 
elsewhere. 

I  thought,  now  that  I  had  made  so  fair  a  begin- 
ning with  the  early  life  of  George  Stephenson,  that  I 
would  like  to  inform  Robert  Stephenson  of  my  pro- 
gress. I  had  seen  him  on  the  subject  in  March  1851. 
Three  years  and  a  half  had  passed,  and  still  nothing 
appeared  to  be  done.  Would  he  believe  that  I 
intended  to  do  nothing  more  in  the  matter?  In 
answer  to  my  letter,  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Dover,  2(ith  September  1854. 

''  Dear  Sir, — 

''I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  have  not 
given  up  the  idea  of  writing  a  memoir  of  my  late 
father  ;  and  now  that  I  have  more  leisure,  it  will  afford 
me  pleasure  to  assist  you  in  many  points  which  are 
only  known  to  myself,  especially  in  reference  to  the 
phases  which  the  locomotive  engine  put  on  at  different 
periods  of  his  active  and  rernarkable  life — a  life  which 
spreads  over  a  period  comprising  probably  one  of  the 
most  interesting  pages  in  the  history  of  civilisation. 

''I  am  about  to  visit  Newcastle,  when  I  shall  make 
a  point  of  giving  you  my  views  respecting  the  form 
which  the  memoir,  in  my  opinion,  ought  to  take,  and 


1854]     A  VISIT   TO   KILLINGWORTH      187 

respecting  the  mechanical  portions  I  shall  feel  it  my 
duty  to  assist. 

''  I  hope  by  the  end  of  the  week  to  be  in  New- 
castle.— Yours  very  truly, 

**  Robert  Stephenson." 


This  was  more  satisfactory  than  when  I  had  last 
seen  Mr  Stephenson.  He  had  then  warned  me 
against  undertaking-  the  memoir,  because  he  did  not 
think  it  would  be  interesting,  and  might  only  cause 
me  loss  of  labour  and  money.  Now,  he  seemed  to  be 
of  a  different  opinion,  and  wrote  in  a  manner  entirely 
confirmatory  of  my  views  as  to  the  Interest  of  the 
subject.  I  afterwards  found  that  the  field  was  clear, 
and  that  no  one  intended  to  write  anything  on  the 
subject  of  George  Stephenson's  life.  But  I  was 
aware  that  I  had  only  made  a  beginning  of  the 
subject,  and  that  a  great  deal  more  remained  to  be 
done. 

Mr  Stephenson  arrived  in  Newcastle  by  the 
beginning  of  October.  I  dined  with  him  occasionally 
at  the  Queen's  Head,  In  Grey  Street,  where  he  put  up. 
He  took  me  over  the  engineering  establishment  In 
Forth  Street,  and  told  me  something  of  Its  history. 
Since  the  germ  of  it  had  been  started  by  his  father, 
assisted  by  Edward  Pease,  It  had  grown  to  an 
Immense  affair,  employing  about  a  thousand  men 
and  boys,  and  paying  in  wages  over  ^looo  a 
week. 

But  I  derived  the  most  interest  and  Information 
from  a  visit  to  Killingworth  and  the  neighbourhood, 
made  in  his  company.  One  fine  Sunday  afternoon  In 
October,  he  drove  me  over  In  an  open  carriage,  by  the 
road  which  he  had  so  often  gone  over  In  his  boyhood. 
**  I  know  every  foot  of  this  road,"  he  said.     ''  I  used  to 


188   NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

come  over  it  every  day  on  my  cuddy  to  attend  Bruce's 
school  in  Newcastle."  We  went  over  the  Town 
Moor,  and,  on  arriving  at  the  village  of  Gosforth,  went 
up  the  Benton  Grange  Road.  Arriving  at  Long 
Benton,  he  said,  *'  Do  you  see  that  red-tiled  house, 
with  the  outside  stair? — that  is  the  place  where 
Rutter  kept  his  school,  and  where  I  learnt  my  ABC." 
On  reaching  the  ochre  quarry,  he  observed,  '*  There  is 
where  my  father  erected  his  first  pumping-engine, 
which  cleared  the  place  of  water  in  a  week."  Not 
far  off,  he  pointed  to  the  High  Pit,  where  he  had 
''sent  them  to  the  bottom,"*  to  the  delight  of  the 
pitman. 

We  then  walked  along  the  waggon  way  to  Killing- 
worth,  and,  reaching  a  little  clay-floored  cottage  by 
the  roadside,  he  said,  "There  is  where  my  grand- 
father lived !  He  was  quite  blind  in  his  old  age,  and 
my  father  kept  him  in  comfort.  I  remember  well, 
how  I  used  to  ride  into  his  cottage  on  my  cuddy,  and 
he  would  examine  the  creature,  feel  him  all  over,  and 
pronounce  him  to  be  a  'real  blood'  donkey."  Then 
he  told  me  of  the  trick  he  played  to  the  swearing 
bully,  Straker — how  he,  with  another  boy,  attacked 
him  on  a  dark  night,  and  made  him  "stand  and 
deliver ! " 

We  reached  Glebe  Farm,  once  inhabited  by  John 
Wigham.  "  There,"  he  said,  "was  the  scene  of  some 
of  my  best  education  in  boyhood  ;  for  Wigham  was  a 
superior  man,  and  I  then  thought  him  a  very  clever 
fellow.  But  now  we  are  at  Killingworth !  This  was 
my  father's  cottage,  and  see,  there  is  the  dial  over  it, 
still  numbering  the  hours  while  the  sun  shines. 
Many  a  sore  head  I  had  while  making  the  necessary 

*  After  clearing  the  pit  of  water.     See  Lives  of  the  Engineers^ 
2oth  impression,  p.  43. — Ed. 


1854]  NICHOLAS  WOOD  189 

calculations  to  adapt  the  dial  face  to  the  latitude  of 
Killingworth." 

We  went  into  the  cottage,  and  he  pointed  out  the 
arrangements.  "There's  where  the  tame  blackie* 
used  to  sit.  There  is  still  the  old  oven,  in  which  my 
father  put  in  the  pitman's  watch,  and  made  it  go, 
simply  by  melting  the  oil."  And  thus  the  afternoon 
wore  away,  and  a  number  of  recollections  were  told  in 
a  homely,  pleasant,  and  kindly  manner.  Robert 
Stephenson  had  nothing  of  the  snob  in  him.  He  was 
not  ashamed  of  his  father  having  been  a  working 
man  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  proud  of  his  having 
worked  his  way  up  from  a  low  condition  by  dint  of 
his  inherent  genius,  perseverance,  and  industry.  I 
spent  the  evening  with  him,  and  made  many  notes, 
which  I  afterwards  duly  recorded. 

During  my  stay  at  Newcastle,  I  called  upon 
Thomas  Hindmarsh,  the  brother  of  George 
Stephenson's  second  wife.  I  wished  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  accuracy  of  the  story  which  I  had  heard 
from  Mr  Bourne,  about  George  having  first  courted 
Miss  Hindmarsh,  and  then,  because  he  was  refused, 
having  made  love  to  Fanny  Henderson,  her  servant. 
He  told  me  the  story  was  **all  nonsense."  Fanny 
had  never  been  their  servant ;  and  besides,  George, 
after  remaining  a  widower  for  fourteen  years,  had 
been  introduced  to  his  sister  by  himself,  at  his 
earnest  solicitation.  Thus  I  was  able  to  correct  this 
portion  of  the  personal  history. 

I  was  desirous  of  obtaining  some  information  from 
Nicholas  Wood,  who  knew  George  Stephenson  well, 
and  had  not  only  been  his  master,  but  his  fellow- 
worker  during  many  years.  I  saw  Mr  Wood  several 
times  at  his  office  on  Quayside  and  at  other  places. 

*  Blackbird.— Ed. 


190  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

He  said  he  would  be  glad  to  help  me  ;  but  although  I 
made  many  applications,  I  never  obtained  any 
information.  I  used  to  think  that  he  was  a  little 
jealous  of  his  former  servant's  reputation. 

One  day,  hanging  about  the  station,  I  met  George 
Hudson  the  deposed  ''  Railway  King."  He  had 
been  to  the  Board  for  the  purpose  of  imploring  their 
mercy.  I  had  some  conversation  with  the  poor 
fellow.  He  was  almost  in  tears,  and  said  the 
directors  were  disposed  to  be  very  hard  on  him,  and 
wished  to  wrench  from  him  the  last  farthing  he 
possessed.  He  referred  to  his  property  at  Whitby, 
which  the  North-Eastern  Company  wished  to  obtain. 
I  believe  they  eventually  got  it,  and  towards  the  end 
of  his  life,  Hudson  was  maintained  principally  by  a 
subscription  raised  amongst  a  few  of  his  friends.  The 
man  was  perhaps  more  foolish  than  reckless.  Had 
he  been  utterly  unprincipled,  and  acted  with  sufficient 
cunning,  he  might  have  become  as  rich  as  Croesus. 
But  he  was  nothing  like  so  clever  as  he  was  repre- 
sented to  be  by  the  toadies  who  surrounded  and 
influenced  him,  and  he  ended  his  days  in  comparative 
poverty. 

Before  I  left  Newcastle  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
running  down  to  Darlington  again  one  Saturday 
afternoon,  for  the  purpose  of  having  an  Interview 
with  John  Dixon,  the  engineer  of  the  Stockton  and 
Darlington  Railway.  When  a  young  man,  he  had 
been  employed  with  Robert  Stephenson  in  **  taking 
the  sights "  on  that  line,  while  George  Stephenson 
was  laying  It  out  afresh.  He  was  afterwards  em- 
ployed on  Chat  Moss  as  assistant  engineer  for  the 
Liverpool  and  Manchester  Railway,  and  had  a  great 
deal  of  interesting  information  to  communicate. 
Indeed,  he  was  of  the  greatest  possible  use  to  me — 


1854]     EXPLOSION  AT  GATESHEAD       191 

not  only  by  what  he  related  as  to  the  beginnings  of 
the  Stockton  and  Darlington  line,  but  as  to  the 
means  taken  to  lay  out  the  railway  over  Chat  Moss — 
supposed  to  be  an  almost  impossible  proceeding 
before  George  Stephenson  took  the  work  in  hand. 
Mr  Dixon  afterwards  wrote  out  for  me,  in  full  detail, 
an  account  of  his  proceedings  on  Chat  Moss,  and  the 
means  taken  by  the  leading  engineer  to  master  and 
conquer  his  difficulties. 

On  6th  October  I  was  awakened  about  midnight 
by  two  tremendous  explosions.  I  went  to  sleep  again, 
but  next  morning  I  was  informed  that  the  town 
had  almost  been  "  blewn  up."  It  was  at  first  thought 
that  the  explosions  had  occurred  through  design,  but 
it  was  ascertained  that  they  were  merely  the  result  of 
accident.  A  warehouse  at  Gateshead,  full  of  sulphur 
and  saltpetre,  took  fire,  and  a  great  mass  of  water 
running  into  it,  the  water  was  vaporised,  and, 
uniting  with  the  combustible  materials,  formed  a 
tremendously  explosive  mixture.  Such,  at  all  events, 
was  the  explanation  given  at  the  time  of  the  terrific 
explosion.  However  this  may  be,  the  windows  of 
every  house  in  the  neighbourhood  were  shattered 
into  a  thousand  atoms,  and  the  mass  of  burning 
stuff  was  shot  across  the  Tyne  upon  ships  and  ware- 
houses, which  at  once  burst  into  flame.  A  large 
number  of  persons  were  killed  and  injured,  and 
about  half  a  million's  worth  of  property  was  lost. 
Next  morning,  when  I  went  down  to  see  the  place, 
it  looked  as  if  it  had  been  subjected  to  a  bombard- 
ment. The  whole  shore,  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
seemed  to  be  a  mass  of  ruins. 

But  I  was  myself  personally  the  subject  of 
another  explosion.  I  was  now  waiting  the  result 
of  my  removal  to  Newcastle.     To  use  the  words  of 


192  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD 

Bacon,  I  had  *' given  hostagfes  to  fortune"  in  the 
shape  of  five  sons  and  daughters  ;  and  I  had  no  wish 
to  change.  I  had  been  nine  years  with  the  Com- 
pany; and  the  concern  had  become  so  large  that  I 
thought  some  room  might  be  made  for  me.  I  should 
have  been  willing  to  take  any  reasonable  position, 
with  a  moderate  salary.  But  none  was  offered. 
Places  were  found  for  all  the  old  officers,  excepting 
myself  Mr  Duncan  Maclaren  of  Edinburgh  was 
"determined  to  have  his  man  in."  My  friends,  who 
were  few  in  number,  were  not  so  determined  as 
Duncan.  Accordingly  he  ''had  his  man  in" — a 
very  proper  person,  from  his  ''own  romantic  town" 
— and  I  prepared  to  look  about  me  for  another 
position,  and  I  was  certainly  not  to  blame  for  this 
change. 

As  the  Scottish  proverb  has  it,  "As  ae  door 
steeks,  anither  opens."  The  South-Eastern  Rail- 
way Company  happened  at  this  time  to  advertise 
for  a  secretary.  I  had  no  end  of  strong  recom- 
mendations, especially  from  Leeds,  where  I  was 
well  known — from  Mr  Henry  Cowper  Marshall,  my 
former  chairman,  Mr  William  Beckett,  banker,  Sir 
George  Goodman,  member  for  Leeds,  and  other 
gentlemen.  Besides,  I  had  the  advantage  of  being 
known  to  experienced  men  of  railway  reputation, 
possessed  of  more  than  local  fame,  such  as  Henry 
Booth,  of  Liverpool,  John  (afterwards  Sir  John) 
Hawkshaw,  of  Manchester,  Sir  William  Cubitt,  of 
London,  and  many  other  distinguished  gentlemen. 
I  did  not  know  a  single  person  at  the  Board  of  the 
South-Eastern  Company,  and  therefore  I  suppose 
these  recommendations  had  their  proper  effect.  A 
large  number  of  applications  were  made  for  the  posi- 
tion.   Out  of  the  applicants,  four  were  selected  to  meet 


1854]    SECEETARY  TO  S.-E.  RAILWAY     193 

the  Board,  of  whom  I  was  one.  After  a  satisfactory 
interview,  I  returned  to  Newcastle,  and  on  the 
morning-  of  the  nth  of  November  1854  (after  a 
wonderful  shower  of  meteors  the  evening  before),  I 
received  a  letter  from  Captain  Barlow,  the  g-eneral 
manager  of  the  South-Eastern  Railway,  informing- 
me  that  I  had  been  appointed  to  the  vacant  office. 

I  then  sent  in  my  resignation  to  the  North- 
Eastern  directors,  and  received  a  minute  of  the 
Board  **  expressing  their  entire  satisfaction  at  the 
manner  in  which  Mr  Smiles  had  always  discharged 
his  duties,  and  more  especially  when  engaged  in 
forwarding^  the  arrangement  between  the  three  com- 
panies, arising-  out  of  the  union  of  their  interests," 
and  so  on.  This  was  the  net  result ;  though  it  was 
better  than  nothing.  I  shook  hands  pleasantly  with 
everybody  when  parting,  and  took  leave  of  my  old 
friend,  John  Bourne,  the  engineer,  with  much  regret. 
I  went  up  to  London  at  once,  and  my  wife,  family, 
and  household  goods  followed  me  a  month  later. 
Before  I  had  settled  down  in  my  place,  I  received 
the  following  letter  from  Robert  Stephenson  : — 


"  24  Great  George  Street,  Westminster, 
^^  2gth  November  iZs^. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  of  your  success, 
and  I  trust  sincerely  it  may  be  permanent ;  for  I  fear 
you  will  find  the  South-Eastern  a  very  difficult  con- 
cern to  keep  in  train  satisfactorily.  More  of  this 
when  I  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you. 

**I  am  delighted  that  you  saw  Dixon  before 
leaving  the  North;  no  man  knew  my  father  better. 
I  will  not  fail  to  send  a  missive  to  Nicholas  Wood, 
which  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  respond  to.  I  had 
little  or  no  hope  in  your  succeeding  in  appointments 
with  him. — Yours  faithfully, 

"  Robert  Stephenson." 

«  N 


194  NEWCASTLE  AND  NEIGHBOUEHOOD 

Such  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  I  entered 
on  my  office.  I  began  to  doubt  whether  I  could 
ever  find  time  enough  to  write  out  the  Life  of  Georg^e 
Stephenson,  and  a  history  of  the  new  branch  of 
national  enterprise.  For,  after  all,  I  had  only  made  a 
beginning^. 


S,.rSeo-nf^  £^Ud.  9'.ffi.e'\^9 


iSrrvenj  'U'aJAe^  '^^k .  S'c 


Qjattiucl    OJuKieJ 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SECRETARY   OF  THE  SOUTH-EASTERN   RAILWAY 

As  Robert  Stephenson  had  predicted,  it  was  not  a  very 
quiet  berth  in  which  I  found  myself,  at  the  Board- 
room of  the  South-Eastern  Railway.  The  direction 
of  the  company  was  in  a  state  of  transition.  Mr 
Macg-regor,  the  former  chairman,  had  been  dis- 
possessed of  his  office  by  a  majority  of  the  directors  ; 
but  no  new  chairman  had  been  appointed.  The 
ministry  was  without  a  head,  and  the  opposition 
was  strong".  It  was  not  so  much  business  as  speech- 
making,  that  seemed  to  be  the  work  of  the  Board. 
Macgregor  was  often  attacked,  and  defended  himself 
with  ability. 

There  was  even  a  third  party  at  the  Board,  headed 
by  Mr  Forster,  member  for  Berwick,  who,  however, 
like  Harry  o'  the  Wynd,  often  fought  for  his  own 
hand.  I  soon  found  that  Mr  Forster  was  ready  to 
trip  me  up  about  the  composition  of  the  minutes. 
The  reason  was,  that  he  had  been  disappointed  in 
not  securing  the  election,  in  my  place,  of  a  fellow- 
member  of  the  Reform  Club,  whom  he  had  introduced 
and  supported.  I  had  therefore  to  be  cautious. 
When  my  minutes  were  first  read,  he  disputed  their 
accuracy.  I  said  that,  so  far  as  I  knew,  they  correctly 
registered  the  decisions  arrived  at  by  the  Board. 


196      SECRETAEY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

"That  may  be,"  he  said,  **but  they  do  not  give  'the 
proceedings.'"  He  appealed  to  the  solicitor,  who 
constantly  sat  at  the  Board.  The  solicitor  referred 
to  the  Act,  which  said  *  minutes  and  proceedings." 
I  had  therefore  to  amend  my  ways,  and  insert  not 
only  what  was  determined  upon,  but  what  was 
proposed  and  discussed.  All  this  was,  of  course, 
with  a  view  to  future  proceedings,  when  an  appeal 
came  to  be  made  to  the  shareholders. 

The  majority  of  the  Board,  not  having  a  good 
speaker,  determined  to  introduce  a  new  man  for  the 
purpose  of  meeting  Macgregor  and  Forster.  They 
found  him  in  an  able  gentleman,  who,  however,  was 
without  a  qualification.  The  majority  gave  him 
the  qualification,  and  elected  him  to  a  vacant  seat. 
He  soon  proved  his  power  as  a  speaker,  by  walking 
into  Macgregor.  The  latter  had  sent  to  the  Register 
Office,  and  ascertained  the  nature  of  his  qualification. 
He  then  rose,  pounced  upon  the  new  man  like  a 
vulture,  and  tore  him  to  pieces.  It  was  exciting  and 
amusing,  but  it  was  not  business.  I  had  never  seen 
such  a  thing  before.  In  former  times,  I  had  seen 
men  of  active  habits  meet  round  a  table  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  through  their  work,  and  pass 
their  minutes  without  rising  from  their  seats.  But 
here  were  men  who  rose  to  their  feet,  and  made 
elaborate  and  cutting  speeches,  without  getting 
through  any  work  at  all.  It  seemed  to  me  a  fruitless 
waste  of  time. 

But  all  this  was  preliminary  to  an  appeal  to  the 
shareholders,  who  were  to  elect  a  batch  of  new 
directors  in  the  following  month  of  March.  Every- 
thing gave  way  to  this  business.  Those  who  were 
in  wished  to  remain  in,  and  many  who  were  out 
desired  to  become  members  of   the    Board.      The 


1864]       A  DIVIDED   DIRECTORATE         197 

number  of  candidates  was  great ;  some  with  only 
the  bare  qualification,  and  nearly  all  without  any 
railway  experience.  Deputations  went  down  to 
Manchester  and  Liverpool,  where  the  principal  part 
of  the  stock  in  the  company  was  held,  to  address 
meetings  of  shareholders.  The  printers  were  set  to 
work,  and  larg-e  numbers  of  proxies,  and  conflicting- 
statements,  were  issued.  At  last,  the  half-yearly 
meeting  was  held ;  and  a  very  uproarious  affair  it 
was.  The  result  was,  that  Mr  Macgregor,  finding 
that  he  had  no  chance,  gracefully  retired,  together 
with  his  former  deputy  chairman ;  that  Mr  Forster, 
with  his  batch  of  candidates,  was  rejected ;  and  that 
some  four  or  five  new  directors  were  added  to  the 
Board.  I  had  no  difficulty  in  g^etting-  on  pleasantly 
with  the  new  men.  After  a  short  interregnum,  the 
Honourable  James  Byng  was  made  chairman ;  and 
I  maintained  a  pleasant  and  agreeable  intercourse 
with  that  gentleman  during  the  twelve  years  that  I 
remained  with  the  company.  He  was  an  honest 
and  honourable  man,  and,  in  the  midst  of  con- 
siderable difficulties,  always  did  the  best  that  he 
could  for  the  advantage  of  the  constituents  he 
represented. 

There  was,  however,  a  great  obstacle  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  company,  in  the  establishment  of  a 
rival  line  within  the  district  that  should  have  been 
fully  served  by  the  South-Eastern  Company.  In 
1853,  the  East  Kent  Company  had  obtained  an  Act 
for  giving  railway  accommodation  to  the  impor- 
tant district  between  Chatham  and  Canterbury. 
That  accommodation  should  certainly  have  been 
supplied  by  the  company  which  already  had  posses- 
sion of  the  county.  But  some  feelings  of  personal 
pride  seem  to  have  stood  in  the  way ;  and  the  new 


198      SECRETARY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

line  got  into  the  hands  of  scheming  contractors.  It 
was  of  no  use  pointing-  out  that  the  new  line  should 
be  constructed  and  worked  by  the  existing  company. 
I  was  informed  that  the  requisite  capital  could  never 
be  obtained,  and  that  the  new  line  would  never  be 
made.  I  could  only  point  to  the  experience  I 
had  gained  through  the  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Railway, 
w^hich  had  established  itself  in  the  face  of  equally 
great  difficulties,  but  had  been  wisely  absorbed  by 
the  North-Eastern  Railway  in  its  more  extensive 
arrangements.  The  new  line  pointed  to  Dover  in 
the  one  direction,  and  to  London  in  the  other ;  my 
impression  from  the  first  was,  that  the  line  would 
be  made  and  extended  in  both  directions.  And,  sure 
enough,  in  1855,  an  Act  was  obtained  to  extend  the 
line  to  Dover. 

Meanwhile,  my  new  Board  began  its  operations. 
A  great  deal  had  to  be  done  to  improve  matters. 
The  poor  South-Eastern  seems  to  have  been  regarded 
as  a  great  milch  cow,  affording  sustenance  to  every- 
body instead  of  to  the  proprietors.  The  number  of 
**dead  heads"  (as  they  are  called  in  America)  pass- 
ing along  the  railway  was  enormous.  Everybody 
who  wanted  an  advantage,  expected  it  from  the 
railway. 

The  Emperor  of  the  French  had  just  made  his 
visit  to  England  with  the  Empress,  and  been  received 
at  Dover  by  the  South-Eastern  magnates  with  great 
ceremony,  and  returned  to  France  with  great  dclat, 
when  an  event  occurred  which  threw  us  into  conster- 
nation. It  originated  in  the  same  desire  for  having  a 
tug  at  the  great  milch  cow.  Railway  companies 
have  neither  souls  nor  bodies,  but  they  have  purses  ; 
and  when  it  was  found  (as  afterwards  appeared)  that 
a  person  high  up  in  the  Passenger  Department  was 


1855]  GEEAT  GOLD  EOBBEEY  199 

in  collusion  with  a  guard  and  a  common  thief  to  rob 
the  company  of  the  gold  carried  on  the  line  for  the 
London  bullionists,  it  must  be  admitted  that  things 
had  been  allowed  to  go  a  great  deal  too  far,  and  that 
a  clearance  of  some  of  the  incapables  (to  say  the  least 
of  them)  must  soon  be  made. 

On  the  1 9th  of  May  the  news  reached  London  from 
Paris,  that  three  large  boxes,  containing  bullion  to  the 
value  of  ;^  14,000,  had  been  robbed  on  their  journey 
between  the  two  places,  and  that  the  weight  of  the 
bullion  bars  had  been  replaced  with  shot !  This  was 
frightful  news.  The  Board  was  summoned  to  consider 
the  matter.  A  reward  for  the  apprehension  of  the 
thieves  was  offered.  The  police  detectives  were  set 
to  work  :  and  reports  came  in  as  to  the  circumstances 
connected  with  the  affair. 

It  appeared  that  the  boxes  containing  the  bullion 
had  been  received  at  the  London  Station  at  twenty 
minutes  to  eight,  on  the  evening  of  the  15th  of  May  ; 
that  they  had  been  weighed,  and  the  record  kept ; 
that  they  had  gone  down  to  Folkestone  by  the  late 
train,  and  had  remained  there  all  night ;  that  they 
had  been  carried  over  by  the  Lord  Warden  steamer 
to  Boulogne  on  the  following  day,  and  been  given  over 
by  the  company's  agent  to  the  agent  of  the  Messa- 
geries  G^n^rales  ;  and  that  they  had  been  finally 
carried  on  to  Paris  by  the  North  of  France 
Railway. 

The  first  idea  was,  that  the  robbery  had  been 
committed  by  foreigners  on  the  French  railway. 
Representations  to  this  effect  were  made  to  the 
Central  Commissioner  of  Police  at  Boulogne,  and  an 
inquiry  was  instituted.  It  appeared  that  the  weights 
of  the  boxes  had  varied  at  London  and  Boulogne ; 
that  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  this  "audacious 


200      SECRETAEY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

robbery  "  had  been  committed  at  Boulogne  ;  and  the 
commissioner  pointed  to  the  fact  that  the  cases 
containing  the  bullion  had  remained  at  Folkestone 
from  II  o'clock  at  night  until  lo  o'clock  the  next 
morning- — inferentially  pointing  to  that  place  as  the 
probable  scene  of  the  robbery.  A  further  report 
came  from  Paris,  to  the  effect  that  all  investigations 
had  failed  to  discover  any  clue  which  might  lead  to 
detection  of  the  thieves. 

And  here  the  matter  rested  for  some  time.  Mean- 
while, I  was  requested  by  Mr  Tester,  the  assistant- 
superintendent  in  the  passenger  manager's  office,  to 
furnish  him  with  a  certificate  of  character  on  his 
leaving  the  company's  service,  to  assume  the  posi- 
tion of  General  Manager  of  the  Royal  Swedish 
Railway.  I  did  not  know  Mr  Tester,  but  was 
informed  by  his  chief  that  he  had  been  a  faithful 
servant,  and  that  I  might  give  him  the  certificate  of 
character  which  he  requested.  Who  Mr  Tester  was, 
will  be  ascertained  in  a  future  part  of  this  narrative. 

It  was  necessary,  as  I  have  said,  to  make  many 
changes,  for  the  management  was  loose.  First,  a  new 
engineer  was  appointed  ;  then  a  new  storekeeper  ;  then 
a  law  clerk,  stationed  in  the  office,  to  be  constantly 
at  hand,  instead  of  having  professional  solicitors 
attending  the  Board ;  then  a  surveyor  to  look  after 
the  company's  rents ;  and,  finally,  a  new  general 
manager  and  a  goods  manager.  I  had  great 
pleasure  in  acting  with  these  gentlemen.  They  were 
active,  able,  and  honest.  The  law  clerk  and  general 
manager  were  long  my  esteemed  friends ;  and  I 
worked  with  them  cordially  for  the  benefit  of  the 
company. 

Mr  Rees,  the  new  law  clerk,  was  a  man  of  great 
ability.      He   was    then   young,   and  comparatively 


1855]  GREAT  GOLD  EOBBERY  201 

inexperienced,  thoug-h  he  has  since  obtained  g^reat 
consideration  as  a  first-rate  Parliamentary  agent. 
He  thought  it  strange  that  we  should  have  been  able 
to  find  no  traces  of  the  gold  robbery;  not  even  a 
hint  of  where  it  had  been  done.  Mr  Rees's  father  was 
a  well-known  solicitor,  who  at  one  time  had  been  able 
to  effect  a  discovery  in  a  similar  case.  The  two,  father 
and  son,  went  down  to  Folkestone,  where  the  gold 
had  lain  during  the  night  before  its  supposed  trans- 
port to  Boulogne.  The  bullion  chests  had  then  lain 
all  night  in  an  office  of  which  the  door  was  always 
open,  and  not  in  the  strong-room  appointed  for  the 
purpose.  There  could  be  no  doubt,  so  they  thought, 
that  things  had  been  so  arranged  by  design,  and  that 
the  station-master  was  in  the  secret.  Old  Mr  Rees 
fixed  his  penetrating  eye  upon  the  station-master, 
who,  he  thought,  quailed  before  his  glance,  as  much 
as  to  say,  ''  Ah  !  you  have  found  me  out,  have  you  ?  " 
Hints  were  dropped,  but  nothing  was  done.  There 
was  no  evidence  whatever,  nor  any  symptom  of 
evidence. 

Many  months  passed,  until,  towards  the  end  of 
1856 — after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a  year — a  young 
woman  called  at  my  office,  and  gave  her  name  as 
Fanny  Kay.  She  said  she  had  come  to  give  some  in- 
formation as  to  the  gold  robbery.  There  had  been  a 
great  many  hints  before  this  time,  and  I  did  not 
expect  much.  But,  as  I  was  much  occupied  by  cor- 
respondence, I  took  the  woman  into  Mr  Rees's  office, 
introduced  her  to  the  law  clerk,  and  left  her  there. 
I  afterwards  asked,  *'  Is  there  any  probability  of  your 
finding  out  this  affair  ? "  **  Well,"  he  replied,  "every- 
thing is  confidential  as  yet.  But  if  what  this  woman 
says  be  right,  we  have  all  been  wrong."  The  next 
time  I  saw  Mr  Rees,  he  told  me  that  he  had  been  at 


202      SECRETARY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

Portland  Prison,  and  discovered  the  whole  secret. 
Here  is  a  very  brief  account  of  the  transaction.  It 
was  the  result  of  Mr  Rees's  personal  examination  of  a 
person  called  Edward  Agar,  then  undergoing  penal 
servitude  at  Portland. 

**The  robbery,"  said  Agar,  "was  first  proposed  to 
»me  by  Pearse.  I  knew  him  about  seven  years  ago. 
He  was  t]jen  in  the  service  of  the  company  as  ticket- 
printer.  Laward  and  ^  Burgess,  first  and  second 
guards,  were  also  to  be  in  it.  I  went  down  to  Folke- 
stone several  times  to  see  how  it  could  be  done ;  but 
I  was  afraid  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  I  went 
abroad,  first  to  Paris,  then  to  Jamaica  and  the 
United  States. 

''  When  I  returned  from  the  latter  country,  to- 
wards the  end  of  1853,  I  met  Pearse  by  accident 
just  by  Covent  Garden  Market.  He  was  then  a 
clerk  in  the  betting  office  of  Clipson,  King  Street. 
I  went  there  occasionally  and  made  several  bets.  I 
went  to  Evans'  and  other  places  with  Pearse.  He 
again  brought  up  the  subject  of  the  gold  robbery. 
He  said  there  had  been  an  alteration  in  the  conduct 
of  the  railway,  and  he  thought  he  could  now  get  the 
keys  of  the  bullion  boxes.  I  said  if  he  could  get  the 
keys,  it  might  be  done,  but  not  otherwise.  We  went 
down  to  Folkestone  and  remained  there  about  a  fort- 
night, watching  the  arrival  of  the  trains  and  the 
management  of  the  bullion  boxes.  One  of  the  keys 
was  kept  in  the  booking  office  of  the  station,  the 
other  was  kept  in  a  cupboard  at  the  harbour-master's 
office.  Pearse  proposed  that  I  should  get  in  at  night 
and  obtain  the  keys.  I  declined,  and  said  that  if  the 
keys  could  not  be  got  in  any  other  way,  I  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it. 

*'  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  station  clerks, 
and  went  with  them  and  played  billiards  at  nights, 
and  a  few  games  at  cards.  I  asked  them  about  the 
bullion,  but  I  got  no  information  from  them.  I  then 
went  over  to  Boulogne,  to  see  how  the  gold  was  dealt 
with  there.  I  remained  there  nearly  a  week.  I  then 
returned  to  London.  During  all  this  time  I  was  in 
communication  with  Burgess  the  guard. 


1856]  AGAR'S  CONFESSION  203 

'*  Previous  to  my  ^oing  to  Boulogne,  Pearse  told 
me  that  he  thought  he  could  get  an  Impression  of 
one  of  the  keys  (No.  i),  for  the  other  (No.  2)  had 
been  lost.  I  asked  how  he  could  get  it.  He  said, 
from  Tester,  in  the  superintendent's  office  at  London 
Bridge.  I  said  I  should  like  to  see  the  key  myself. 
Pearse  saw  Tester,  who  agreed  to  see  me.  We  all 
met  at  a  public-house  at  the  corner  of  Tooley  Street. 
Tester  produced  two  keys,  both  of  one  lock  (No.  i). 
I  then  took  the  impression  of  it  in  wax.  I  returned 
the  keys  to  Tester,  who  took  them  away.  Pearse 
had  told  Tester  what  the  keys  were  wanted  for. 
Tester  was  to  have  his  share  with  the  rest — Burgess, 
Pearse,  and  myself. 

*'  It  then  became  a  question  how  to  get  at  key 
No.  2.  Pearse  proposed  to  send  a  money  parcel 
down  to  Folkestone,  and  that  I  should  be  there  to 
receive  it,  and  see  where  they  brought  the  key  frorn. 
I  consented.  I  left  about  ;^500  with  Pearse,  and  it 
was  sent  down  in  the  bullion  chest.  I  went  to  the 
office  on  the  day  after  It  arrived,  and  the  clerk  brought 
out  the  keys  from  his  cupboard,  and  unlocked  the 
chest,  taking  out  and  giving  me  the  parcel,  and 
requiring  a  receipt.  After  returning  to  London,  I 
went  down  to  Folkestone  with  Pearse ;  and  towards 
evening,  just  before  the  Boulogne  boat  arrived,  as  we 
knew  that  the  clerks  generally  left  the  office  to  attend 
to  the  passengers  and  baggage,  we  thought  that 
would  be  our  opportunity.  We  watched  the  clerks 
go  out,  and  immediately  went  into  the  office,  and 
found  the  cupboard  do9r  with  the  key  In  It.  We 
opened  it,  found  the  bullion  key,  and  took  an  Impres- 
sion of  It  in  wax.  We  returned  the  same  evening  to 
London. 

"  I  got  the  keys  made  by  a  scale-beam  forger  In 
Church  Street,  Shoredltch.  I  gave  him  the  size,^  and 
then  myself  filed  them  down  to  match  the  impressions. 
I  met  Burgess  a  great  many  times,  and  went  down 
with  him  to  Dover  to  try  the  keys  in  the  bullion  box. 
One  of  the  locks  was  not  used,  but  I  got  both  keys  to 
fit.  We  then  watched  for  an  opportunity  to  effect 
the  robbery. 

*'  We  bought  a  quantity  of  shot  at  the  Shot  Tower 
by  Hungerford  Bridge,  28  lbs.,  and  put  It  into 
bags,   so  as  to  pack  readily  Into  the  boxes.     We 


204      SECRETARY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

carried  them  in  carpet  bags  many  times,  in  a  four- 
wheeled  cab,  to  St  Thomas  Street,  while  I  went  to 
Burgess  on  the  platform  of  London  Bridge  Station, 
to  ascertain  if  the  proper  quantity  of  gold  was  going 
down.  This  went  on  for  about  a  fortnight.  One 
night  I  observed  Burgess  just  by  the  exit  gate  at  the 
Dover  part  of  the  platform.  He  raised  his  cap  and 
wiped  his  face — the  signal  that  the  gold  was  there. 
I  went  back  to  St  Thornas  Street,  got  into  the  cab, 
and  told  the  man  to  drive  round  to  the  station.  A 
porter  came  and  took  the  bags.  I  told  the  man  to 
enter  the  luggage  and  wait  till  I  came  from  the 
booking  office,  where  I  took  two  2nd  class  tickets. 
Burgess  put  the  two  bags  into  the  van  behind  the 
door.  The  bullion  safe  was  then  brought  up  and 
placed  in  the  van. 

**  Tester  used  to  meet  us  every  night  to  give  us 
information  as  to  the  gold  going  down.  The  reason 
why  we  did  not  go  at  once  was  that  we  wanted 
sovereigns  if  we  could  get  them,  and  we  had  deter- 
mined not  to  go  for  less  than  ;^i2,ooo — the  amount 
which  we  could  carry,  and  had  shot  for.  Tester  met 
us  as  usual  at  8  o'clock.  He  walked  up  to  the  station 
and  we  met  on  the  platform,  but  we  took  no  notice  of 
each  other.  ^  I  had  been  up  more  than  once  to  see 
Tester  in  his  office. 

**  I  got  into  Burgess's  van.  Pearse  got  into  a  ist 
class  carriage.  Tester  into  another.  As  soon  as  the 
train  had  started,  at  8.30  p.m.,  I  opened  one  of  the 
safes  with  the  key.  I  then  opened  the  box  containing 
the  long  bars  of  Australian  gold.  I  took  one  of  the 
bars  out  and  put  it  into  a  black  leather  enamelled  bag 
made  expressly  for  Tester.  By  this  time  we  had 
arrived  at  Redhill.  Tester  came  up,  and  Burgess — 
as  had  been  previously  arranged — placed  the  bag 
upon  the  platform.  Tester  took  it  up,  and  ran  across 
to  meet  the  up  train,  then  about  due,  by  which  he 
returned  to  London.  This  was  done  to  relieve  us  of 
part  of  the  weight. 

**  Pearse  got  into  the  van  at  Redhill.  We  then 
took  the  gold  out  of  the  boxes,  and  replaced  it  with 
shot.  He  fastened  down  the  boxes  with  the  same 
nails  and  bands  as  were  previously  used,  and  sealed 
them  up  as  before.  We  remained  in  the  van  for  some 
time  after  locking  up  the  safe.     We  got  out  at  Folke- 


1856]  AGAR'S   CONFESSION  205 

stone  upper  station,  and  took  our  seats  in  a  ist 
class  carriage  for  Dover.  The  empty  boxes  went 
down  to  Folkestone  Harbour.  On  getting-  out  at 
Dover,  we  went  to  Burgess's  van,  and  each  of  us 
took  away  one  carpet  bag-.  We  carried  them  to  a 
coffee-house  in  the  neighbourhood,  where  we  had 
supper,  and  shortly  after  returned  to  London  by 
the  up  mail  train,  of  which  Burgess  was  guard. 
Burgess  had  provided  us  previously  with  two  Ostend 
tickets. 

''  On  reaching  London  early  in  the  morning,  we 
took  a  cab  on  the  incline,  and  told  the  man  to  drive 
us  to  the  Great  Western  Station.  On  the  road,  we 
told  him  we  had  made  a  mistake,  and  asked  him  to 
drive  to  Euston.  He  drove  us  to  a  coffee-house  in 
Drummond  Street,  where  we  slept  for  an  hour ;  then 
to  Pearse's  house,  Kilburn ;  then  by  another  cab  to 
mv  house  at  Cambridge  Villas,  Shepherd's  Bush. 
There  we  broke  up  and  melted  the  gold.  Pearse 
bought  some  fire  bricks  and  a  crucible,  as  well  as  an 
iron  ingot.  In  the  meantime,  Pearse  sold  loo  ounces 
of  the  gold,  a  piece  cut  off  one  of  the  large  Australian 
bars.  We  went  on  melting,  and  then  took  the  whole 
to  Pearse's  house. 

''  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  gold,  to  the  extent  of 
over  ;^2000,  was  divided  between  Pearse,  Burgess, 
and  Tester.  I  was  to  have  mine  later,  as  the  others 
said  they  wanted  money.  Burgess  had  ;^700,  and 
Tester  £700,  both  in  notes.  Several  sums  borrowed 
by  Burgess  and  Tester  were  repaid  to  me.  I  may  add, 
that  on  the  morning  after  the  robbery  I  met  Tester 
by  appointment  at  the  railway  stairs  leading  down  to 
the  Borough  Market  by  St  Saviour's  Church.  He 
then  gave  me  the  gold  bar  he  had  brought  up  from 
Redhill  in  the  small  black  bag.  When  I  was  arrested, 
all  the  rest  of  the  gold  was  with  Pearse  at  his 
Kilburn  villa  as  well  as  the  coupons  of  Spielmans. 
Pearse  told  me  he  should  dig  a  hole  in  the  pantry 
under  the  steps  of  the  front  entrance,  in  which  to 
conceal  it." 

Such  was  the  confession  of  Agar  to  Mr  Rees  at 
Portland,  with  a  great  deal  more  evidence  implicating 
other  parties,   which  need  not  be  mentioned  here. 


206      SECRETAEY  OF  S.-E.  EAILWAY 

Agar  had  been  apprehended,  tried,  and  convicted  for 
a  crime  of  which  he  was  probably  not  guilty.  He 
left  his  wife  and  child  at  Pearse's,  and  trusted  to  their 
being  maintained  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  gold 
robbery.  But  Pearse  and  his  wife  quarrelled  with 
Fanny  Kay,  and  turned  her  out  of  doors.  Then  it  was 
that  she  called  upon  me,  and  that  I  handed  her  over 
to  Mr  Rees ;  after  which  he  went  down  to  Portland 
to  collect  the  above  evidence. 

Steps  were  taken  to  apprehend  Pearse  and 
Burgess,  the  latter  still  acting  as  a  guard.  Tester 
was  expected  home  from  Sweden  on  a  visit  to 
his  friends  at  Deal.  He  also  was  secured.  The 
whole  of  the  prisoners  were  brought  before  Baron 
Martin  at  the  Central  Criminal  Court  on  the  13th 
January  1857.  The  evidence  above  given  was  con- 
firmed by  Agar  in  full  detail.  I  was  present  in  the 
court.  Agar  was  a  smallish,  thin  man,  with  a  keen 
bright  eye  ;  he  gave  his  evidence  with  great  clearness. 
Baron  Martin  said  of  him,  that  if  he  had  given  his 
attention  to  some  legitimate  business  or  profession, 
he  might  have  reached  distinction.  Of  the  other 
prisoners — especially  Tester  and  Burgess,  who  had 
so  dishonestly  abused  their  trust — the  Judge  spoke 
with  contempt ;  and  Pearse  was  but  a  common  thief, 
who,  finding  that  he  could  do  nothing  without 
superior  skill,  called  in  Agar — as  the  ordinary  medi- 
cal practitioners,  in  a  difficult  case,  would  call  in  an 
experienced  surgeon  or  physician. 

The  punishment  given  to  Pearse  was  too  small. 
He  was  only  convicted  of  larceny,  and  sentenced  to 
two  years'  imprisonment,  with  hard  labour,  three  of 
the  months  to  be  passed  in  solitary  confinement. 
Burgess  the  guard,  and  Tester  the  manager  of  the 
Royal  Swedish  Railway,  were  sentenced  to  fourteen 


1855]    LETTEE  FEOM  R.  STEPHENSON    207 

years'  transportation.  Agar  was  sent  back  to  endure 
his  penal  servitude  at  Portland. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  Gold  Robbery ! 

But  what  had  become  of  my  long-contemplated 
Life  of  George  Stephenson  ?  I  fear  that,  In  the  midst 
of  all  my  occupations,  I  had  omitted  further  attention 
to  it.  I  had  very  little  leisure,  and  my  time,  even  my 
evenings,  were  entirely  occupied  with  railway  work. 
I  had  seen  Robert  Stephenson  from  time  to  time ; 
and  in  the  course  of  1855  I  had  occasion  to  write 
to  him  professionally,  requesting  him,  at  the  instance 
of  the  directors,  to  advise  with  them  as  to  an  improve- 
ment in  the  Shakespeare  Cliff  tunnel,  near  Dover, 
which  had  recently  been  the  cause  of  a  fatal  accident 
to  a  private  in  the  Grenadier  Guards.  To  this  letter, 
I  received  the  following  reply  : — 

"  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  4M  October  1855. 

''  My  dear  Sir, — 

"By  this  post  you  will  receive  a 
reply  to  your  official  communication,  declining  to  go 
into  the  matter,  as  I  have  decided  (and  I  have  acted 
on  the  decision  for  the  last  two  years)  to  withdraw 
myself  entirely  from  all  new  professional  engagements. 
This  I  have  done  chiefly  on  account  of  my  health  not 
being  very  good. 

"  With  regard  to  the  notes  upon  my  father's  early 
steps  with  the  Locomotive  Engine,  they  have  been 
done  some  time,  and  I  hope  shortly  to  see  you  on 
this  subject ;  but  I  shall  be  engaged  for  ten  days  or  a 
fortnight  out  of  London  mainly.  Since  you  under- 
took your  new  situation,  you  have  frequently  passed 
through  my  mind,  and  I  began  to  feel  that  your  new 
engagements  would  be  far  too  numerous  to  admit  of 
your  giving  the  Biography  any  attention. 

"Moreover,  I  felt  that  if  your  Board  found  that 
you  were  not  giving  your  whole  time  to  their  busi- 
ness, it  might  cause  dissatisfaction.  I  was  aware, 
also,  that  you  had  had  a  struofgle  with  a  section  of  the 
Board,  when  you  obtained  the  appointment.     When 


208      SECRETARY  OF  S.-E.  RAILWAY 

you  succeeded,  I  knew  that  you  would  have  many 
serious  difficulties  to  contend  with.  A  divided  Board, 
a  reduced  income,  increasing  expenses,  and,  as  a 
necessary  consequence,  discontented  shareholders. 
None  of  these  contribute  to  a  secretary's  comfort, 
and  as  I  take  rather  a  gloomy  view  of  the  future 
prospects  of  the  South-Eastern,  I  fear  your  troubles 
are  not  at  an  end. 

*'  I  intend  leaving  England  for  a  cruise  in  sortie 
southern  clime  in  about  three  weeks,  but  I  will 
make  a  point  of  seeing  you  for  an  hour  or  two, 
before  that  time. 

"  Brunei  or  Hawkshaw  would  either  of  them  be 
good  men  to  confer  with  Ashcroft  on  the  tunnels, 
and  from  what  I  have  heard,  the  matter  will  not 
brook  delay. — Yours  faithfully, 

''  Robert  Stephenson." 

This  was  wise  advice,  and  I  resolved  to  follow  it, 
until  I  had  sufficient  leisure  time  at  my  disposal. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

The  work  at  the  office  was  by  no  means  uninterest- 
ingf.  Though  some  of  it  was  monotonous,  it  was 
pleasant  and  agreeable.  I  had  always  plenty  to  do, 
what  with  correspondence,  minutes,  and  reports  ; 
and  active  work  is  always  attended  with  happi- 
ness. So,  at  least,  I  have  found  in  the  course  of  my 
life. 

I  endeavoured,  so  far  as  I  could,  to  clear  off  the 
work  of  every  day,  so  as  to  begin  every  morning 
with  a  carte  blanche  as  it  were — free  and  unfettered. 
Sometimes  this  was  difficult,  especially  when  we 
were  approaching  the  half-  yearly  meetings.  But 
still  I  managed  to  get  through  the  day's  work ;  and 
when  there  were  arrears  to  dispose  of,  I  took  a  bag 
of  correspondence  home  with  me,  to  settle  and 
arrange  it  there.  In  this  way,  I  often  sat  up  until 
a  late  hour,  perhaps  until  two  or  three  in  the 
morning. 

When  an  arrangement  was  made  to  have  only  one 
Board  meeting  in  the  fortnight,  so  as  to  suit  the  con- 
venience of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  directors, 
it  became  still  more  difficult  to  get  through  the  work 
satisfactorily.  All  the  correspondence  had  to  be 
gone  through  and  attended  to  in  the  course  of  the 

209  .  Q 


210    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOE  AT  LAST ! 

day.  Besides,  there  were  the  minutes  of  four 
committee  meetings  held  on  Wednesdays,  to  be 
written  out  and  made  ready  for  confirmation  at  the 
fortnightly  board  on  the  following  day.  Sometimes 
I  found  it  difficult  to  accomplish  this  work;  and 
sitting  long  at  my  desk,  either  at  the  office  or  at 
home,  often  gave  me  a  splitting  headache.  Indeed, 
I  began  to  think  that  there  might  be  some  difficulty  in 
carrying  on  the  work  further. 

Then  it  was  that  the  idea  of  dictating  the  minutes, 
and  the  answers  to  the  greater  part  of  the  corres- 
pondence, occurred  to  me.  I  had  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Mr  (afterwards  Sir  Arthur)  Helps,  secretary 
of  the  Privy  Council.  He  told  me  that  he  had  found 
an  immense  advantage  in  dictating,  not  only  his 
letters,  but  his  books.  It  saved  time,  and  enabled 
him  to  clear  away  his  correspondence.  He  said  that 
he  used,  while  riding  home  by  railway  from  London 
to  Kew,  to  turn  over  in  his  mind  the  subject  of  his 
forthcoming  works  (such  as  his  Companions  of  my 
Solitude  and  Friends  in  Council),  that  he  would 
prepare  the  thoughts  and  sentences,  and  retain  them 
complete  in  his  mind ;  and  that  then,  on  reaching 
home,  he  would  dictate  them  to  his  daughter,  who 
had  in  this  way  written  out  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
books. 

I  acted  upon  the  suggestion,  and  inserted  an 
advertisement  in  the  Times  for  a  short-hand  writer. 
I  had  many  applications  for  the  position,  and  at 
length  selected  a  clever  reporter.  I  found  some 
difficulty  at  first,  in  communicating  my  ideas  to 
another  for  the  purpose  of  being  set  down  in  black 
and  white.  But  practice  soon  made  perfect ;  and  at 
length  I  was  enabled  to  get  through  all  my  work  in 
the  shortest  possible  time.      By    dictation,    I    dis- 


1855]       DICTATION   OF   LETTERS  211 

burthened  my  mind  at  once.  The  matter  was  written 
out  in  long-  hand  and  submitted  for  my  approval. 
The  letters  were  sent  off  at  once,  and  the  minutes 
were  copied  out  and  ready  for  submission  and 
approval  on  the  following  morning.  By  this  means 
I  was  enabled  to  get  through  my  work  with  pleasure 
and  dispatch. 

There  was  one  thing,  however,  that  I  could  never 
accomplish.  I  could  never  dictate  anything  that 
was  to  appear  in  print.  I  must  see  the  sentences 
before  me,  coming  out,  as  it  were,  at  my  fingers'  ends  ; 
and  shape,  and  prune,  and  modify  them,  for  purposes 
of  publication.  Sir  Arthur  Helps  was  able  to  do  this  ; 
but  he  must  have  had  a  better  memory  for  words  and 
consecutive  sentences  than  I  had.  Composition  was 
often  very  difficult  in  my  case ;  and  I  made  many 
erasures  and  alterations  before  I  was  fully  satisfied 
with  my  productions.  My  brain  was  at  work,  as  well 
as  my  fingers  ;  and  the  excitement  of  the  one  had  its 
correlation  in  the  activity  of  the  others. 

At  the  same  time,  the  dictation  of  minutes  and  of 
ordinary  business  letters  proved  oi  immense  advan- 
tage. My  health  was  restored ;  I  could  clear  away 
my  work  for  the  day ;  and  I  went  home  with  my 
mind  clear  and  unfagged.  I  recovered  my  evening's 
leisure,  and  could  spend  it  in  amusement,  recreation, 
or  the  pleasure  of  social  converse.  The  question 
then  occurred,  what  was  I  to  do  with  the  leisure  time 
thus  set  at  liberty?  My  object  always  was — for, 
indeed,  it  had  become  a  habit — to  turn  my  spare 
minutes  to  some  useful  account.  There  was  that 
old  Life  of  George  Stephenson  that  had  been  hanging 
over  my  head  for  so  many  years.  Could  I  not 
proceed  with  it  now  ?  And  was  it  right  to  write  out 
the  contemplated  book  ? 


212    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

I  know  that  there  are  many  people  who  think  that 
a  man  of  business  who  devotes  his  leisure  to  writlngf 
a  book  is  in  a  measure  lost.  He  ought  to  devote  his 
whole  time  either  to  business  or  literature ;  and 
literary  men  are  not  considered  business  men.  Had 
I  proposed  to  spend  my  evenings  at  the  theatre,  or  at 
concerts,  or  at  the  club,  no  one  would  have  com- 
plained ;  but  to  spend  it  in  writing  a  book,  with  my 
name  on  the  title-page,  was  a  very  different  matter. 
What  has  a  railway  secretary,  who  is  paid  for 
his  work  as  such,  to  do  with  writing  books  ?  And 
yet  I  thought  that,  provided  I  did  the  work  of  the 
railway  company  thoroughly — and  I  believe  that  I 
did — I  was  at  liberty  to  do  with  the  leisure  of  my 
evenings  what  I  thought  proper,  provided  the  result 
was  not  at  variance  with  my  other  duties.  The 
reader  will  observe  that  I  am  arguing  for  my  own 
liberty  in  the  matter. 

There  was  one  thing  in  which  I  was  very  particular 
— the  regularity  of  my  attendance  at  the  office.  I 
was  always  there  first — with  one  exception  ;  and  that 
was  my  good  assistant,  Robert  Hudson — a  most 
good,  conscientious,  and  devoted  man — the  backbone 
of  the  Secretariat,  during  the  many  years  that  he 
remained  with  the  company.  But  I  was  always 
before  the  bulk  of  the  clerks,  and  the  example  had,  no 
doubt,  its  influence.  I  was  so  regular  in  passing  the 
window  of  my  neighbour,  Wilson  of  Blackheath,  on 
my  way  to  the  station,  that  he  declared  that  he  could 
set  his  clock  by  my  movements. 

I  made  up  my  mind,  then,  to  proceed  with  my 
Life  of  Stephenson.  But  before  I  proceed  to  describe 
the  history  of  this  book,  I  may  mention  that,  on 
arriving  in  London  towards  the  end  of  1854,  I  sent 
the  MS.  of  Self- Help  to  Messrs  Routledge  &  Co. 


1855]    MS.  OF  SELF-HELP  DECLINED     213 

Mr  Walker,  of  Leeds,  had  offered  to  publish  the 
book  on  half-profits,  but  I  preferred  to  have  a 
London  publisher.  The  circumstances  of  the  times 
were,  however,  opposed  to  the  publication  of  new 
books.  The  Crimean  War  was  raging,  and  people 
were  satisfied  with  the  perusal  of  their  newspapers. 
The  Messrs  Routledge  accordingly  declined  to  publish 
the  book.     Their  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

"London,  Farringdon  Street, 
"25/^  February  1855. 

"Sir,— 

*'We  regret  having  detained  your  MS. 
so  long.  We  were  in  hopes  that  we  should  have  been 
able  to  publish  it ;  but  trade  still  continues  so  dull 
that  we  find  it  will  be  quite  impossible.  We  shall  be 
happy  to  give  you  the  MS.  at  any  time;  and  are. 
Sir,  your  obedient  servants, 

''George  Routledge  &  Co." 


So  far  as  I  can  recollect,  I  did  not  place  my  name 
on  the  title-page  of  the  proposed  work.  Indeed,  my 
name  was  not  worth  anything  at  all,  for  my  two 
previous  works — one  in  1838  and  the  other  in  1844 
— had  been  failures,  and  were  forgotten.  I  went  to 
Messrs  Routledge  for  the  MS.,  laid  it  to  one  side 
for  future  uses,  and  then  proceeded  with  my  pro- 
posed Life  of  George  Stephenson. 

I  again  communicated  with  Robert  Stephenson. 
I  learned  from  him  that  no  one  had  yet  proposed  to 
write  the  Life ;  and  that  if  I  did  not  proceed  with  it, 
the  probability  was  that  it  never  would  be  done.  1 
was  still  under  the  same  impression  as  before,  that 
there  were  materials  in  the  subject  for  an  original  and 
striking  memoir.  I  told  him  my  ideas  of  the  way  in 
which  the  Life  should  be  treated.  First,  there  was 
the  early  history,  on  which  I  had  already  obtained  a 


214    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST  1 

large  amount  of  Information.  Then  there  was  the 
history  of  the  locomotive,  which,  Robert  Stephenson 
told  me,  he  had  written  out  in  full  detail.  There  was 
next  the  invention  of  railways,  starting-  into  full  life 
under  the  eyes  of  the  present  generation,  and  pro- 
ducing the  most  extraordinary  results  upon  the  action 
and  framework  of  society.  Then  there  was  the 
supersession  of  the  old  methods  of  travelling  by 
means  of  the  locomotive,  the  development  of  railway 
enterprise  up  to  the  period  of  speculation  and 
gambling,  the  extension  of  railways  to  foreign 
countries,  and  some  account  of  the  principal  persons 
connected  with  the  advance  of  this  great  revolution 
in  our  commercial  interests.  The  task  was  not  very 
easy,  but  I  thought  that  it  might  be  satisfactorily 
accomplished.  If  it  were  not  done  now,  the  proba- 
bility was,  that,  owing  to  the  death  of  the  principal 
persons  connected  with  the  development  of  railways, 
it  never  would  be  done.  To  all  this  Mr  Stephenson 
agreed,  and  he  promised  me  throughout  his  hearty 
co-operation. 

I  was  still  anxious  for  the  information  which  Mr 
Nicholas  Wood  of  Newcastle  had  promised  me  many 
years  before.  He  had  been  present  at  the  first  trial 
of  the  *'Geordy"  Lamp  In  the  Kllllngworth  pit,  and 
knew  a  great  deal  of  the  early  history  of  the  loco- 
motive. Though  he  had  been  George  Stephenson's 
master,  I  believed  that  jealousy  would  not  prevent 
his  helping  me  to  a  certain  extent.  I  asked  Robert 
Stephenson's  assistance,  and  he  wrote  to  me,  saying, 
"  Nicholas  Wood  has  never  replied  to  my  letter :  I 
shall  fire  another  shot  with  a  heavier  charge."  But 
no  information  came.  Then  I  wrote  to  Mr  Bourne, 
engineer  of  the  North- Eastern  Railway,  asking  for 
his  assistance.     Mr  Bourne  saw  Mr  Wood,  on  which 


1856]        LIFE  OF  G.    STEPHENSON         215 

the  latter  said,  "Well,  if  you  will  put  in  for  me  that 
bit  siding-  at  Penshaw,  I  will  give  you  all  the  informa- 
tion that  Mr  Smiles  wants."  On  inquiry,  Mr  Bourne 
found  that  to  put  in  the  ''bit  siding  at  Penshaw," 
would  cost  more  than  ^3000.  He  asked  me  if  the 
information  was  worth  that  money,  on  which  I 
replied,  that  it  was  not  worth  3000  farthings. 
I  told  Robert  Stephenson  of  the  result  of  my 
application. 

''Ah,"  he  said,  "it  is  Nick  all  over.  His  motto 
is,  '  Nothing  for  nothing-  for  nobody ' ! " 

The  truth  is  that  I  could  do  very  well  without  the 
information  asked  for.  The  report  and  evidence  re- 
specting the  "Geordy"  Safety  Lamps  had  been  pub- 
lished; and  besides,  Mr  Wood  had  written  out  his 
account  of  the  early  history  of  the  locomotive  in  his 
Practical  Treatise  on  Railroads.  Strange  to  say,  long 
before  any  controversy  arose  about  the  blast-pipe, 
Nicholas  Wood  had  (though  not  believing-  in  its  virtue) 
given  all  the  credit  to  Stephenson ;  but  after  it  had 
been  found  that  the  steam-blast  was  the  life  blood  of 
the  locomotive,  and  that  Timothy  Hackworth  claimed 
its  invention,  Mr  Wood  withdrew  that  part  of  the 
treatise  from  his  book,  thereby  seriously  injuring  the 
authenticity  of  his  history.  But  Robert  Stephenson 
handed  me  the  first  edition  of  the  work,  published 
in  1825,  long  before  the  steam-blast  had  become  a 
matter  of  controversy. 

I  had  already  obtained  all  the  requisite  informa- 
tion from  Edward  Pease  as  to  the  projection  and 
construction  of  the  Stockton  and  Darlington  Rail- 
way. And  now  I  wished  to  get  access  to  the  best 
information  relative  to  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
Railway — the  opening  of  which  marks  the  era  of  a 
great  change  in  all  popular  ideas  respecting  loco- 


216    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

motion.  Fortunately,  the  men  were  still  alive — Mr 
Gooch,  Mr  Dixon,  Mr  Swanwick,  and  Mr  Henry 
Booth- — who  had  taken  part  in  that  undertaking:; 
and  they  gave  me  all  the  information  that  I  desired. 
Through  the  influence  of  Robert  Stephenson,  also, 
I  obtained  many  valuable  facts  from  Sir  Joshua 
Walmsley,  Mr  T.  Sopwith,  Mr  Charles  Parker,  Mr 
Vaughan  of  Snibston,  Mr  Binns  of  Claycross,  and 
many  more.  Mr  Stephenson  himself,  of  course, 
supplied  the  principal  information  in  the  book,  especi- 
ally as  to  the  history  of  the  locomotive.  Little  or 
no  information  was  derived  from  books  or  reports, 
but  nearly  all  from  personal  inquiry  and  intercourse. 

I  proceeded  at  home  quietly  to  work  up  the  subject 
from  my  old  notes.  I  wrote  in  the  evenings,  mostly 
after  six ;  sometimes  alternating  my  occupation  with 
a  walk  on  Blackheath,  preparing  a  sentence  or  laying 
out  a  subject,  and  returning  home  to  commit  the 
results  to  paper.  I  had  no  library  then,  but  used  to 
write  with  my  children  playing  about  me  ;  I  had  no 
difficulty  in  concentrating  my  attention  upon  the 
subject  in  hand.  While  I  had  been  a  newspaper 
editor,  I  used  to  write  with  the  clang  of  the  steam- 
engine  and  printing-press  in  my  ears ;  and  after- 
wards, at  the  railway  office,  I  worked  amidst  con- 
stant interruptions  and  inquiries,  which  I  was 
always  ready  to  answer. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  write  in  any  particular  sort 
of  ''style."  I  first  endeavoured  thoroughly  to  under- 
stand the  subject,  and  then  the  sentences  flowed  from 
my  pen  without  conscious  effort.  If  I  wrote  quickly 
and  expressively,  it  was  because  I  had  been  vigor- 
ously active  during  my  walk.  I  think  Sou  they  was 
right  when  he  said  to  Ebenezer  Elliott,  "  My  rule  of 
writing  is,  to  express  myself,  ist,  as  perspicuously  as 


1856]        LIFE  OF  G.   STEPHENSON         217 

possible ;  2nd,  as  concisely  as  possible ;  and  3rd,  as 
impressively  as  possible."  This  is  the  way  to  be  felt, 
and  understood,  and  remembered.  The  writer  who 
relies  upon  ''style"  dances  in  fetters.  Sydney 
Smith  said  truthfully,  *'  Every  style  is  good  that  is 
not  tiresome."  Another  thing- — a  man  must  him- 
self understand  before  he  begins  to  write :  this  is 
the  most  infallible  mode  of  being  understood  by 
others. 

After  a  long  and  protracted  period — long,  because 
of  the  numerous  interviews  with  friends  of  Stephen- 
son, and  also  because  of  the  few  intermittent  hours  I 
could  give  to  writing  out  the  results  of  the  interviews 
m  the  leisure  of  my  evenings — I  at  length  got  the 
manuscript  into  shape,  and  went  up  to  Robert 
Stephenson's  house  in  Gloucester  Square,  to  read 
some  portions  of  it  over  to  him  and  his  friend  Mr 
Sopwith.  I  sought  out  some  of  the  most  interesting 
parts — his  father's  early  life,  and  the  history  of  the 
Safety  Lamp.  I  read  on  and  on  ;  and  when  I  looked 
up,  Sopwith  was  drowsy,  and  Robert  Stephenson 
was  profoundly  asleep!  Gracious  goodness!  was 
this  to  be  the  result  of  my  labours  with  the  public  } 
But  it  is  true,  my  audience  had  dined ;  and  dined 
well.  When  I  stopped,  Stephenson  suddenly  looked 
up,  and  said,  **Oh!  I  hear  you  very  well.  Go  on,  if 
you  please." 

I  went  on  a  little  further,  and  this  time  my 
audience  kept  wide  awake. 

**Well,"  said  Stephenson  finally,  *'who  is  to  be 
your  publisher  ?  " 

*'I  intend,"  I  answered,  "to  try  Mr  Murray  first, 
as  I  consider  him  to  be  at  the  top  of  the  publishing 
business." 

"If  a  few  hundred  pounds  would  be  of  use,"  he 


218    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

rejoined,  '*for  Illustrations  and  such  like,  let  me 
know." 

''  I  don't  think  that  will  be  at  all  necessary,"  I 
answered,  ''as  I  have  no  doubt  I  can  get  the  book 
published,  without  expense  to  anybody." 

Stephenson  afterwards  said  to  me  that  he  was 
surprised  at  my  answer,  and  that  he  saw  I  must  have 
some  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  book. 

Havingf  finished  the  MS.  towards  the  end  of  1856, 
I  called  upon  Mr  Murray,  and  found  him  willing"  to 
publish  the  book  on  half-profits.  He  suggested,  how- 
ever, that  the  MS.  should  be  placed  In  the  hands  of 
an  experienced  author  for  revision  and  correction. 
I  afterwards  found  that  Mr  (afterwards  Sir  John) 
Milton  was  my  reviser.*  His  fee  was  £so.  He  cut 
out  a  good  many  anecdotes,  which  I  took  an  early 
opportunity  of  restoring ;  as  I  think  that  personal 
anecdotes,  when  characteristic,  greatly  enliven  the 
pages  of  a  biography. 

The  book  was  ready  for  publication  In  June  1857. 
On  the  26th  of  May,  at  the  anniversary  of  the  Civil 
Engineers  Institution,  I  presented  to  the  secretary 
the  first  bound  copy  of  the  volume,  which  was  looked 
over  by  some  of  the  members.  A  few  days  later,  I 
received  the  following  letter  from  Robert  Stephen- 
son : — 

"34  Gloucester  Square,  Zth  June  1857. 

**  My  dear  Sir, — 

''  Now  that  your  work  Is  advertised, 
1  believe  you  will  get  a  good  deal  of  correspondence 
of  my  father's.  I  enclose  you  a  little  batch  from 
Thomas  Gooch,  who  was  associated  with  my  father 
in  the  execution  of  the  Manchester  and  Leeds  Rall- 

*  Mr,  afterwards  Sir  J.  Milton,  sometime  clerk  and  chief-clerk  in 
the  War  Office,  occasionally  acted  as  literary  adviser  to  the  late  Mr 
John  Murray. — Ed. 


1857]  PUBLICATION  219 

way.  I  have  no  doubt  more  will  come  to  hand  ;  but 
you  will  perceive  that  much  of  the  correspondence 
could  scarcely  with  propriety  be  published  at  this 
time;— the  allusions  to  the  men  of  the  Great  Western 
to  wit ! 

''  Those  who  have  perused  the  volume^  you  left  at 
the  Institution,  not  beyond  two  or  three,  like  the  tone 
and  feeling  of  the  Biography  very  much  indeed. 
They  like  both  the  head  and  the  heart  that  produced 
it. — Yours  very  faithfully, 

**  Robert  Stephenson." 

Copies  of  the  "  Life  "  were  as  usual  sent  out  to  the 
press.  How  would  the  critics  receive  the  volume? 
I  remember  a  clever  description,  by  the  late  W.  S. 
Landor,  in  his  Imag-inary  Conversations,  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  critics  receive  a  new  book.  "Some 
slowly  rise,  like  carp  in  a  pond  when  food  is  thrown 
among  them  ;  some  snatch  suddenly  at  a  morsel  and 
swallow  it ;  others  touch  it  gently  with  their  barbe, 
pass  deliberately  by,  and  leave  it ;  others  wriggle  and 
rub  against  it  more  disdainfully ;  others,  in  sober 
truth,  know  not  what  to  make  of  it,  swim  round  and 
round  it,  eye  it  on  the  sunny  side,  eye  it  on  the 
shady ;  approach  it,  question  it,  shoulder  it,  flap  it 
with  their  tails,  turn  it  over,  look  askance  at  it,  take 
a  peashell  or  a  worm  instead  of  it,  and  plunge  again 
their  contented  heads  into  the  comfortable  mud : 
after  some  seasons  the  same  food  will  suit  their 
stomachs  better." 

I  must  say  that,  on  the  whole,  the  critics  received 
my  new  book  very  favourably.  The  Spectator,  indeed, 
said,  "little  was  left  for  Mr  Smiles  to  do,  but  to  fill 
in  the  details."  But  what  is  a  Biography  without 
the  details  ?  The  details  are  everything.  To  take 
a  much  more  important  case.  Most  people  knew 
something  of  the  lives  of  Johnson  and  Scott ;   but 


220    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

merit  was  certainly  due  to  Boswell  and  Lockhart  for 
fillingf  in  the  details.  The  AthencBum  was  cordial ; 
the  usually  staid  Economist  was  enthusiastic ;  the 
Saturday  Review  was  full  of  praise.  These  and  other 
reviews  appeared  in  print  shortly  after  the  appearance 
of  the  book ;  and  favourable  notices  were  re-echoed 
from  the  provinces.  In  the  course  of  the  following 
month,  Mr  Murray  informed  me  that  the  Life  had 
been  so  well  received,  that  he  had  very  few  copies 
remaining^  of  the  looo  composing  the  first  edition, 
and  that  he  must  send  the  book  to  press  again  as 
soon  as  possible.  Another  edition  of  1 500  copies  was 
accordingly  printed  and  sold ;  and  in  the  following 
September,  a  further  edition  of  2000  copies,  in  which 
many  amendments  and  additions  were  made,  was 
disposed  of.* 

Then  came  the  reviews  in  the  Monthlies  and  the 
Quarterlies,  as  well  as  two  long  consecutive  articles 
in  the  Times  of  9th  and  i6th  September  :  all  of  which 
had  the  effect  of  sending  off  the  book.  Indeed,  on 
several  occasions,  the  type  of  one  edition  had  only 
been  half  distributed,  when  another  edition  was  called 
for.  It  had  also  the  honour  of  being  reprinted  in 
America — without  my  knowledge  or  consent.  This 
is  usually  the  case  with  all  English  books  that  succeed. 
Failures  are,  of  course,  never  stolen.  I  was  once  com- 
plaining to  an  American  lady  of  the  unsatisfactory 
state  of  the  copyright  law  between  England  and 
America.  '*0h!"  she  exclaimed,  ''you  ought  to 
be  satisfied  with  the  fame  you  achieve  by  the  in- 


*  Since  the  above  passage  was  written,  I  have  read  the  Life  of 
George  Eliot^  and  observe  that  she  was  an  admirer  of  the  book. 
"  The  Life  of  George  Siephenson"  she  wrote  to  a  friend,  " has  been  a 
real  profit  and  pleasure.  ...  He  is  one  of  my  great  heroes  ;  has  he 
not  a  dear  old  face?" 


1859]  LAEGE   SALE  221 

creased  circulation  of  your  works."  **  Well,  madam," 
I  answered,  *'  I  do  not  know  what  it  may  be  in 
America,  but  in  England,  fame  is  considered  a  very 
hungry  diet." 

The  result  of  the  publication  was,  that  in  the 
course  of  little  more  than  a  year,  five  editions  of  the 
8vo  Life  of  George  Stephenson,  amounting-  in  all  to 
7500  copies,  were  printed.  In  1859,  a  reduced  and 
cheaper  copy  of  the  work  was  published ;  and  after- 
wards a  larger  and  handsomer  edition,  to  range  with 
the  Lives  of  the  Engineers,  At  the  time  at  which  I 
write  these  lines,  some  60,000  copies  of  the  book 
have  been  printed  in  England — the  last  being  the 
Centenary  Edition  at  2s.  6d. 

Behold  me  at  last,  at  the  advanced  age  of  forty- 
five,  a  successful  author!  People  wondered  how  a 
person  so  utterly  unknown  in  the  literary  world 
should  have  been  able  to  write  a  successful  book, 
especially  on  the  topic  of  a  railway  engineer.  But 
they  did  not  know  the  long  training  I  had  had  for 
the  work,  and  the  difficulties  I  had  overcome — the 
encounter  with  which,  indeed,  had  educated  me — nor 
the  reading,  thinking,  observation,  and  perseverance, 
which  are  about  the  sole  conditions  for  success  in 
anything. 

When  I  found  that  I  could  succeed  in  writing  a 
respectable  book,  I  took  from  the  drawer,  where  it 
had  lain  so  long,  my  rejected  MS.  on  Self -Help,  and 
thought  of  rewriting  it  and  offering  it  to  the  public. 
I  took  some  pains  with  it,  and  had  it  ready  for  the 
printer  in  July  1859.  I  intended  at  first  to  publish  it 
without  my  name  on  the  title-page ;  but  Mr  Murray 
warned  me  against  doing  so.  ''You  ought  to 
recollect,"  he  said,  **that  success  is  a  lottery  in 
literature,  and  you  abandon  your  vantage-ground  by 


222    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST! 

publishing  anonymously."  I  therefore  eventually 
agreed  to  give  my  name  on  the  title-page. 

My  object  in  writing  out  Self- Help,  and  delivering 
it  at  first  in  the  form  of  lectures,  and  afterwards  re- 
writing and  publishing  it  in  the  form  of  a  book,  was 
principally  to  illustrate  and  enforce  the  power  of 
George  Stephenson's  great  word — Perseverance.  I 
had  been  greatly  attracted  when  a  boy  by  Mr 
Craik's  Pursuit  of  Kftowledge  under  Difficulties.  I 
had  read  it  often,  and  knew  its  many  striking  pass- 
ages almost  by  heart.  It  occurred  to  me,  that  a 
similar  treatise,  dealing  not  so  much  with  literary 
achievements  and  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  as 
with  the  ordinary  business  and  pursuits  of  common 
life,  illustrated  by  examples  of  conduct  and  character 
drawn  from  reading,  observation,  and  experience, 
might  be  equally  useful  to  the  rising  generation.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  the  most  important  results  in  daily 
life  are  to  be  obtained,  not  through  the  exercise  of 
extraordinary  powers,  such  as  genius  and  intellect, 
but  through  the  energetic  use  of  simple  means  and 
ordinary  qualities,  with  which  nearly  all  human 
individuals  have  been  more  or  less  endowed.  Such 
was  my  object,  and  I  think  that,  on  the  whole,  I  hit 
my  mark. 

Mr  Murray  was  willing  to  incur  the  risk  of  print- 
ing the  book  on  the  half-profit  system.  But,  looking 
to  the  publication  of  George  Stephenson,  I  thought  I 
might  myself  incur  the  risk.  Accordingly,  the  work 
was  published  on  the  usual  commission.  Then 
arose  the  question  as  to  the  number  to  be  printed 
of  the  first  edition.  I  thought  the  book  might 
succeed,  but  I  was  not  particularly  sanguine.  Mr 
Murray,  however,  said,  ''  I  think,  with  your  name 
on   the  title-page,    you   may  venture  to  commence 


1859]  SELF-HELP  223 

with  the  printing  of  3000  copies."  Even  that 
was  a  largfe  number  of  an  untried  book.  It  was 
offered  at  Mr  Murray's  annual  sale  in  November, 
and  the  whole  edition  was  sold  off.  ''In  fact," 
he  said,  "the  work  has  followed  the  hint  of  its 
own  title."  Orders  for  3000  more  w^ere  given  to  the 
printer,  though  the  specimen  copies  had  not  yet  been 
sent  out  to  the  press  for  review.  When  the  reviews 
appeared,  they  were  favourable.  The  book  went,  as 
Mr  Cooke  said,  "like  hot  rolls";  and  yet,  by  the  2nd 
of  March  following,  the  copies  had  not  yet  been  sent 
to  the  country  papers.  Indeed,  the  book  was  received 
with  more  applause  than  the  Life  of  Stephenson. 
During-  the  first  year  20,000  copies  were  printed,  and 
15,000  the  second.  Since  then,  the  book  has  con- 
tinued in  demand.  Up  to  the  present  time,  I  think 
that  about  160,000  have  been  printed.* 

When  the  book  was  announced,  Messrs  Ticknor 
&  Fields,  the  American  publishers,  were  so  well  satis- 
fied with  the  results  of  their  publication  of  the  Life  of 
Georg'e  Stephenson — which  was  undertaken  without 
my  knowledge  or  consent — that  they  offered  ^25  for  a 
set  of  the  advance  sheets  of  Self- Help.  Mr  Murray 
said,  "It  is  not  much  to  give,  but  it  is  something 
saved  out  of  the  fire."  Mr  Cooke,  his  partner,  also 
said,  "  We  think  you  would  do  well  to  accept  the  £2$ 
as  generally  they  offer  only  £^  or  £\o  for  such  a 
work."  The  proposal  was  accordingly  accepted.  It 
appeared  that  shortly  after  the  publication  of  the 
book  in  America,  it  was  largely  purchased  for  the 
School  Libraries  in  Ohio  and  other  States  of  the 
Union ;  so  that  Ticknor  &  Fields  must  have  done 
well  by  their  spirited  and    generous    arrangement. 

*  At  the  beginning  of  1905  the  number  printed  was  close  on 
258,000. — Ed. 


224    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST  1 

But  they  could  not  retain  the  monopoly  in  America. 
Other  publishers  reissued  the  book.  I  have  seen 
three  editions,  but  I  am  told  there  are  many 
more. 

The  Atlantic  Monthly,  then  published  by  Ticknor 
&  Fields,  contained  an  article  on  International  Copy- 
right in  October  1867,  from  which  it  appeared  that 
the  practice  then  was,  that  if  an  American  publisher 
issued  a  reprint  of  a  foreign  work,  he  by  that  fact 
acquired  an  exclusive  right  to  the  republication  of  all 
subsequent  works  by  the  same  author  (p.  441).  This 
was  the  ''courtesy  of  the  trade"  in  America.  It 
shortly  meant  this:  *'If  I  steal  from  an  English 
author  once,  I  have  the  right  of  stealing  everything 
that  he  publishes  in  any  future  year."  Not  only  so, 
but  ''all  and  several  of  these  rights  may  be  bought 
and  sold,  like  any  other  kind  of  property."  The  same 
article  contained  a  statement  that  Messrs  Ticknor  & 
Fields,  "on  principle,  and  as  an  essential  part  of  their 
system,  send  to  foreign  authors  a  share  of  the  pro- 
ceeds of  these  works,  and  this  they  have  habitually 
done  for  twenty-five  years."  I  can  only  say  that 
in  my  own  case,  they  published  the  Life  of 
Georg'e  Stephenson,  and  afterwards  Industrial  Bio- 
graphy, without  my  knowledge  or  consent,  and  that 
they  did  not  send  me  the  value  of  a  brass  farthing 
for  the  privilege  of  publishing  either  of  those 
works. 

I  was,  however,  sufficiently  satisfied  with  the 
results  of  my  publication  at  home.  It  would  be 
considered  absurdly  eulogistic  were  I  to  detail  the 
many  marks  of  sympathy  and  gratitude  which  I 
have  received  from  all  classes  of  the  community,  at 
home  and  abroad.  I  hope  I  shall  be  excused  for 
mentioning  a  few  curious  instances.     One  gentleman 


1860]     UNKNOWN   CORRESPONDENTS    225 

at  Dundee,  who  named  his  son  after  me,  assures  me 
that  he  is  indebted  to  me  for  what  he  is  to-day :  he 
says  my  words  have  often  cheered  and  spurred  him 
on  in  the  battle  of  life.  Another,  at  Hastings,  says, 
''  Self- Help  has  been  of  extraordinary  service  to  me. 
I  have  repeatedly  gained  hope  and  courage  from  its 
aphorisms  and  brave  sentences ;  and  with  them  I 
have  tried  to  encourage  others."  A  third,  a  lady  at 
Birmingham,  writes  to  thank  me  for  my  lessons, 
which  have  so  cheered  and  encouraged  her  son,  who 
is  now  far  away,  an  emigrant  at  Waimato,  New 
Zealand.  ''Smiles's  Self-Help,''  he  writes,  ''has 
been  the  cause  of  an  entire  alteration  in  my  life,  and 
I  thank  God  I  have  read  it.  I  am  now  devoted  to 
study  and  hard  work,  and  I  mean  to  rise,  both  as 
regards  my  moral  and  intellectual  life.  I  only  wish 
1  could  see  the  man  who  wrote  the  book,  and  thank 
him  from  my  heart."  The  lady  who  wrote  the  letter 
adds,  ''  You  may,  perhaps,  imagine  with  what  feelings 
his  mother  read  this  passage ;  for  when  my  son  went 
out,  he  was  thoughtless,  and  we  were  anxious  about 
him.  'Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart'  etc.,  is 
my  only  excuse.     Thank  God ! " 

A  working  man  at  Exeter  was  not  less  grateful. 
He  thanks  me  for  what  I  have  done  for  the  benefit  of 
his  class.  He  says  my  books  "have  instructed  and 
helped  him  greatly,"  and  he  "  wishes  that  every  work- 
ing man  would  read  them  through  and  through,  and 
ponder  them  well."  Another  correspondent,  resident 
in  the  same  city,  says  that  "since  perusing  the  book, 
he  had  experienced  an  entire  revolution  in  his  habits, 
and  is  grateful  to  the  author  as  the  primary  cause. 
Instead  of  regarding  life  as  a  weary  course,  which 
has  to  be  got  over  as  a  task,  I  now  view  it  in  the 

light  of  a   trust  of  which  I    must   make  the  most ; 

r 


226    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

and,   acting-  accordingly,   I   am   beginning  to  feel  a 
satisfaction  that  I  never  felt  before." 

One  night  I  met  at  a  friend's  house  a  gentleman 
who  said  he  ''desired  to  shake  me  by  the  hand,  and 
to  thank  me  for  all  I  had  done  for  him."  ''  How  is 
that?"  I  asked.  ''When  a  young  man,"  he  said, 
"  I  was  on  the  slide  downward.  I  was  careless, 
thoughtless,  and  pleasure-seeking.  Your  Self-Help 
came  in  the  nick  of  time.  I  read  it,  and  pondered 
over  it,  until  it  seized  entire  hold  of  me.  I 
endeavoured  to  put  its  lessons  into  practice.  I 
became  sober,  punctual,  attentive,  and  began  to  be 
trusted.  I  was  promoted,  and  eventually  rose  to  be 
a  partner  in  my  firm.  I  am  now  a  prosperous  man,  and 
have  to  thank  you  for  it  all."  This  was  certainly  a 
most  encouraging  testimony  to  the  results  of  my 
small  literary  efforts. 

I  knew  a  widow  lady  who  was  encouraged  to 
persevere  in  art,  from  the  instances  of  perseverance 
which  she  found  related  in  Self-Help  and  two 
other  young  ladies  who  were  encouraged  to  write  for 
their  living  and  the  support  of  their  relations — all  of 
whom  are  now  recognised  and  famous.  A  young 
surgeon  at  Blackheath  tells  me  that  my  little  book, 
first  placed  in  his  hands  by  his  father,  "gave  fresh 
energy  and  hopeful  enthusiasm  to  his  career."  He 
thanks  me  cordially  "for  being  one  of  the  chief 
causes  in  giving  an  inclination  to  my  mind,  which,  I 
hope,  will  bear  good  fruit,  as  well  as  more  ennobling 
views  of  life  and  its  duties." 

This  is  surely  eulogy  enough.  But  I  cannot 
refrain  from  adding  another  instance.  At  first,  I 
did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  Many  years  after 
the  book  had  been  published,  I  received  a  letter 
from  Dublin  from  a  person  I  had  never  heard  of. 


1860]    IRISH  READER  OF  SELF-HELP    227 

beginning-  ''My  dear  Sir."  He  apologised  for 
addressing  me  in  so  familiar  a  manner ;  but  it  all 
arose  from  ''dear  old  Self- Help,''  which  had  become 
his  most  familiar  friend  and  adviser.  His  story  was 
as  follows  : — 

Eleven  years  before  the  date  of  his  letter,  he  had 
seen  an  announcement  of  the  book.  That,  he 
thought,  is  the  volume  for  me ;  besides,  the  Free- 
man s  Journal  had  praised  it.  He  saved  a  shilling, 
for  he  was  then  only  a  boy ;  but  when  he  went  to  the 
bookseller,  he  found  the  price  of  the  book  was  beyond 
his  means.  The  bookseller  showed  it  to  him  :  "  Little 
did  I  think,"  he  says,  "of  the  fruit  that  was  concealed 
therein."  Nevertheless,  he  was  only  put  off  for  a 
little.  He  saved  again,  and  in  three  weeks  he  was 
able  to  buy  the  book,  "though  pence  were  then  of 
far  greater  importance  to  me  than  pounds  now 
are. 

"Now,"  he  adds,  "comes  the  strange  part  of  my 
story.  Such  was  the  influence  worked  upon  me  by 
your  description  of  what  has  been  done  and  what 
could  be  done  by  continued  industry  and  determined 
perseverance,  that  you  made  me  believe  it  possible  to 
do  things  that  I  and  thousands  more  had  regarded  as 
impossible.  Such,  however,  was  its  effect.  I  had 
already  served  seven  years  to  the  Wine  and  Spirit 
trade,  which  I  every  year  regarded  with  greater 
dislike.  I  now  wished  to  change  my  occupation,  and 
embrace  some  less  equivocal  calling.  After  a  time,  I 
embarked  all  my  earnings  and  savings  in  the 
druggist  and  chemist  business  ;  and  as  Smiles  had 
been  my  guide,  I  determined  to  take  you  into  my 
concern  as  a  sleeping  partner.  Hence  you  will  see 
your  name,  in  conjunction  with  my  own,  at  the  top 
of  my  letters  and  shop-bills.  My  friends  were  very 
much  opposed  to  my  undertaking,  and  did  everything 
to  deter  me  from  entering  upon  it,  believing  that 
I  should  have  succeeded  very  well  in  the  spirit  trade, 
which  was  my  own  oroper  business.     They  did  not 


228     A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOK  AT  LAST ! 

know  who  my  partner  was,  but  supposed  he  must  be 
a  man  of  capital  and  experience.  I  had,  of  course, 
many  difficulties  to  encounter ;  but  after  years  of 
struggle  and  labour  I  made  my  way.  Not  to  trouble 
you  with  too  many  details,  I  may  say  that  I  became 
prosperous.  Your  name  smiled  upon  me.  Many  of 
my  customers  addressed  me  by  your  name  as  well  as 
by  my  own,  and  I  answered  to  the  one  equally  with 
the  other.  Indeed,  I  scarcely  knew  which  was  which. 
After  three  years  I  opened  another  branch  in  a 
different  part  of  the  city.  That  too  succeeded.  So 
that  you  will  see  I  have  many  reasons  to  believe  in 
dear  old  Self -Help  ;  and  I  long-  much,  to  shake  by  the 
hand  so  good  a  guide  and  friend  as  the  writer  of  the 
book." 

I  had  not  yet  seen  my  correspondent ;  but  in  the 
course  of  a  short  time  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
his  acquaintance.  He  was  all  that  I  could  have 
expected  of  him — active,  enterprising,  and  intelligent. 
He  was  still  young,  and  desirous  of  distinguishing 
himself  in  another  walk  of  life.  He  had  saved  enough 
money  to  enable  him  to  enter  at  Trinity  College 
as  a  student.  First  he  thought  of  embracing  Law  ; 
eventually  he  determined  upon  devoting  himself  to 
the  Church.  After  disposing  of  his  business,  he  went 
to  Stonyhurst  College  in  Lancashire ;  then  he  went 
to  Rome,  where  he  remained  for  three  years  ;  now  he 
is  at  Oxford,  preparing  himself  for  ordination  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  Knowing  well  the  vicious 
tendency  of  drinking  habits,  he  intends  to  devote  the 
rest  of  his  life  to  promoting  the  cause  of  temperance. 
I  still  treasure  as  a  gift  from  him,  a  present  on  which 
is  inscribed,  ''To  Samuel  Smiles,  Esq.,  as  a  small 
token  of  esteem." 

Self-Help  was  translated  into  most  foreign 
languages.  The  first  I  heard  of  it  was  from  a 
Dutch  clergyman,  who  was  in  England  attending 
the  marriage  of  a  niece  of  my  friend.   Mr  Eborall. 


1860]  TRANSLATIONS  229 

He  said  to  me,  **  We  know  your  name  very  well  in 
Holland."  "How  is  that?"  I  asked.  "From  your 
book  Help  u  Z elf  en :  it  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
books  in  the  country."  He  afterwards  sent  me  a 
copy;  and  there  it  was,  complete,  in  Dutch.  The 
next  translation,  I  think,  was  made  at  Hamburgh,  in 
Germany ;  but  it  was  badly  done,  and  another 
translation  came  out  at  Colbergr  a  few  years  later. 
Denmark  and  Sweden  followed ;  then  France ;  then 
Buenos  Ayres,  in  Portuguese.  Translations  were 
also  made  at  Prague  into  the  Czech  lang-uage,  and  at 
Wag-ram  into  the  Croatian.  I  was  informed  by  Mr 
Ralston  that  Russia  has  several  translations,  though 
I  have  not  seen  them.  There  are  two  in  Spain,  and 
the  last  that  I  have  heard  of  is  in  Turkish. 

The  translation  made  into  Italian  was  a  great 
success.  The  book,  I  was  told,  had  been  more  suc- 
cessful than  any  published  in  that  country.  When  I 
was  in  Italy  (of  which  more  hereafter),  in  1879,  more 
than  40,000  copies  had  been  published.  The  late  Dr 
Max  Schlesinger  told  me  that,  while  in  Egypt  some 
years  ago,  he  had  visited  one  of  the  Khedive's  palaces, 
then  being  fitted  up  by  an  Italian  architect.  On  looking 
at  the  inscriptions  and  mottoes  written  on  the  walls, 
and  on  the  magnificent  furniture  of  the  house,  Dr 
Schlesinger  asked  what  they  were.  The  Italian 
informed  him  that  they  were  texts  from  the  Koran. 
"  But  they  are  not  all  from  the  Koran,"  he  added  ; 
"  indeed,  they  are  principally  from  Smeelis."  "  From 
whom  ? "  "  Oh !  you  are  an  Englishman  :  you  ought 
to  know  Smeelis !  They  are  from  his  Self- Help : 
they  are  much  better  than  the  texts  from  the  Koran  ! " 
Dr  Schlesinger  told  me  this  anecdote  with  much  gusto 
on  his  return  to  London. 

I  cannot  tell  the  number  of  Eastern  languages 


230    A  SUCCESSFUL  AUTHOR  AT  LAST ! 

into  which  ►S>/f/*-77i?^  has  been  translated.  In  1874, 
Mr  Murray  wrote  to  me,  ''Two  days  ago,  I  g-ave 
leave  for  a  translation  of  Self -Help  into  Arabic,  for  the 
use  of  the  people  of  Mount  Lebanon ! "  Translations 
were  made  into  several  of  the  lang-uages  of  India, 
more  especially  into  Tamil,  Marati,  Gujarati,  Hindu- 
stani, and  Canarese.  When  Professor  K.  Nakamura, 
the  Japanese,  was  in  England  in  1868,  he  heard  a 
good  deal  about  Self- Help,  and  took  a  copy  of  the  work 
home  with  him.  He  translated  it  while  on  shipboard, 
and  published  it  on  arriving  at  Shidz  oka  shortly 
afterwards.  He  entitled  it,  European  Decision  of 
Character  Book — there  being  no  equivalent  for  Self- 
Help  in  the  Japanese  language.  In  a  letter  which  I 
received  from  Professor  Nakamura,  through  the 
hands  of  the  Honourable  G.  Takeda,  delegate  to  the 
International  Exhibition  in  1873,  he  said,  "Will 
you  allow  me  to  thank  you  with  a  sincere  mind  for 
your  literary  work,  which  has  had  a  good  result  in 
our  little  island  of  Japan."  He  then  proceeded  to 
give  me  an  account  of  the  manner  in  which  he  was 
induced  to  make  the  translation,  and  now,  he  adds, 
*'  I  am  glad  to  see  the  results,  for  almost  all  the  high 
class  of  our  fellow-countrymen  know  what  Self- 
Help  is." 

The  translated  book,  a  copy  of  which  was  handed 
to  me  by  the  Honourable  G.  Takeda,  was  a  re- 
markable document.  It  had  become  expanded  into 
a  book  of  about  2000  pages,  and  read  from  the  end 
backwards.  The  characters  reminded  one  of  an 
entymological  collection.  They  stood  apart,  like 
insects  in  a  case  at  the  British  Museum ;  but, 
on  closer  scrutiny,  they  seemed  to  represent,  not 
the  lower  creatures,  but  familiar  objects,  such  as 
houses,   windows,   fireplaces,   and  various    domestic 


1860]    TRANSLATION  INTO  JAPANESE    231 

utensils,  involved  in  fantastic  flourishes  capable  of  no 
European  explanation.  On  looking-  at  the  book  and 
its  characters,  it  does  not  afford  matter  for  surprise 
that  the  Japanese  should  be  contemplating-  the 
abandonment  of  their  own  language,  and  a  resort  to 
straightforward,  condensed,  and  sensible  English! 


CHAPTER  XV 

RAILWAY  WORK CHARING  CROSS   LINE 

Literature  occupied  a  very  small  portion  of  my 
thoughts,  and  a  still  smaller  portion  of  my  working 
faculties.  It  was,  of  course,  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
occasionally  to  withdraw  myself  from  the  daily 
fatigue  of  office  duties,  and  take  refuge  in  quiet 
thinking  and  reflective  study.  But  1  had  compara- 
tively little  unbroken  leisure.  When  I  had  done 
my  day's  work,  and  read  up  the  news  of  the  day, 
there  was  little  time  left  for  other  purposes.  For 
months  together,  I  did  not  set  down  a  word  for  the 
printer.  There  was  only  enough  time  left  for  rest, 
and  recreation,  and  sleep. 

Our  company  was  usually  at  war  with  the  adjoin- 
ing companies.  On  one  side  there  was  the  Brighton, 
and  on  the  other  the  East  Kent.  They  had  always 
to  be  watched,  as  they  in  turn  watched  us.  The 
Board  met  only  once  a  fortnight.  It  was  scarcely 
to  be  expected  that  gentlemen  who  gave  only  an 
intermittent  attention  to  the  affairs  of  a  large  com- 
pany, could  take  so  much  interest  in  it  as  the 
working  staff,  of  whom  I  was  one.  It  was  the 
subject  of  our  daily  business  and  of  our  constant 
thoughts.  Mr  Eborall,  the  general  manager,  a  most 
worthy  and  excellent  man,  was  in  constant  communi- 


1859-60]       RAILWAY   EXTENSION  233 

cation  with  me ;  and  consulted  me  about  everything^ 
in  connection  with  the  company's  affairs. 

One  of  the  most  trying-  affairs  we  had  to  consider, 
was  the  extension  of  the  East  Kent  line  in  and 
through  the  district  which  we  had  heretofore  exclu- 
sively occupied.  It  was  a  short-sighted  policy  on  the 
part  of  the  previous  directors,  not  to  have  fully 
occupied  the  ground  between  Chatham  and  Canter- 
bury, and  made  a  railway  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  public  in  North  Kent.  But  the  mischief  had  been 
initiated  in  1853,  before  our  connection  with  the 
company.  A  line  was  granted  by  Parliament,  and 
the  works  were  in  course  of  construction.  Overtures 
were  made  for  the  amalgamation  of  the  concerns  ;  but 
no  serious  proposal  was  ever  submitted  for  con- 
sideration. Our  directors  were  under  the  impression 
that  the  line  would  never  be  completed  ;  and  were 
rather  disposed  to  laugh  the  new  undertaking  to 
scorn. 

The  rival  line  was  not  only  made,  but  new  exten- 
sions were  obtained — eastwards  towards  Dover  and 
Margate,  and  westwards  towards  London.  "They 
would  never  be  made  ;  they  could  never  be  finished ! " 
No  doubt  they  ruined  many  people,  shareholders  as 
well  as  contractors ;  but  they  were  made,  and  they 
were  finished.  What  Oxenstiern  said  to  his  son  was 
very  true,  ''Go  forth,  my  son,  and  see  with  how  little 
wisdom  the  world  is  governed ! "  the  same  might  be 
said  of  some  railway  directions. 

There  was  one  gentleman  at  our  Board,  who  held 
the  dogma  of  ''closing  the  capital  account."  A  very 
good  dogma,  provided  the  work  to  be  done  is  only  of 
strictly  limited  amount.  Suppose,  for  instance,  the 
Liverpool  and  Manchester  directors  had  proposed  to 
"close  the  capital  account "  when  they  had  completed 


234  EAILWAY  WORK 

their  line  from  Liverpool  to  Manchester!  It  would 
have  been  equivalent  to  "shutting  up  shop"!  But 
instead  of  this,  the  company  went  on  adding-  to  their 
acconniiodation,  until  they  had  as  many  miles  of 
station  siding  laid  down  in  and  around  Liverpool 
alone,  as  they  had  laid  down  between  Liverpool  and 
Manchester!  That  line  of  thirty  miles  became 
expanded  and  connected  with  other  lines,  until  at 
length  it  formed  part  of  a  network  of  railways,  the 
property  of  one  company,  of  over  fourteen  hundred 
miles  in  extent,  representing  a  capital  invested  in 
railway  works  and  plant,  of  over  fifty  millions 
sterling. 

'* Closing  the  capital  account"  meant  this — **We 
shall  give  no  further  railway  accommodation" — and 
that  in  the  case  of  a  City,  the  largest,  without  excep- 
tion, in  the  world — a  City  of  about  four  millions  of 
people,  and  with  a  constantly  increasing  population — 
a  City  containing  more  than  the  entire  population  of 
Scotland,  Sweden,  Holland,  or  Portugal.  The  rail- 
way traffic  of  London  is  necessarily  of  immense 
magnitude,  arising  from  the  circumstance  that  it  is 
not  only  the  great  distributive  centre  of  the  traffic  of 
Great  Britain,  but  that  it  contains  an  aggregate  of 
some  four  millions  of  people,  who  are  in  a  great 
measure  dependent  upon  railways  for  their  daily 
trade  and  their  daily  food,  as  well  as,  in  a  great  many 
cases,  for  their  daily  journey  to  and  from  a  suburban 
residence. 

The  new  company,  therefore,  had  no  difficulty  in 
getting  their  Acts  passed  by  Parliament  for  giving 
greater  accommodation  to  the  county  of  Kent. 
Parliament  also  entertained  the  idea  of  giving  the 
public  the  benefit  of  unrestricted  railway  com- 
petition.      This,    however,    proved    to    be    a    mis- 


1859-60]      EAILWAY   ECONOMICS  235 

take.  "When  combination  is  possible,"  said  Robert 
Stephenson,  ''competition  is  impossible."  At  all 
events,  shareholders,  when  investing  their  money,  look 
for  some  profit  or  other  from  their  undertaking-. 
They  do  not  invest  merely  from  philanthropic 
motives.  Even  when  they  lay  down  a  duplicate  line, 
say  between  London  and  Dover,  almost  parallel  with 
the  line  already  made,  they  can  reckon,  at  least,  on 
sharing  the  traffic.  And  in  the  long-run  they  do. 
The  public  gets  a  double  service,  but  it  gets  no 
reduction  of  rates. 

This  has  been  the  case  with  the  railway  competi- 
tion through  Kent.  There  is  scarcely  a  town  that  is 
not  served  by  two  railways  instead  of  one ;  but, 
instead  of  having  lower  fares,  the  fares  are  necessarily 
kept  up  in  order  to  pay  the  duplicate  working 
expenses,  and  a  moderate  share  of  profit  to  those 
who  have  invested  their  money  in  constructing  the 
duplicate  railways.  Parliament,  in  its  wisdom,  does 
not  seem  to  have  provided  for  the  contingency 
of  the  new  company  combining  with  the  old  one,  and 
thus  rendering  "unrestricted  railway  competition" 
impossible. 

In  an  article  which  I  wrote  for  the  Quarterly 
Review  in  1868  (after  my  connection  with  railways 
had  ceased)  I  used  the  following  words,  which  are 
strictly  true  : — 

"  Private  companies  have  had  to  contend,  at  great 
cost,  for  the  privilege  of  constructing  and  working  the 
national  highways ;  but,  once  obtained,  the  privilege 
has  proved  of  comparatively  small  advantage  to 
them,  for  they  have  always  been  open  to  attack. 
One  of  the  favourite  ideas  of  English  statesmen — 
but  without  a  particle  of  statesmanship  in  it — has 
been  that  it  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  that  there 
should  be  free  competition  between  railway  companies ; 


236  RAILWAY  WORK 

and  with  that  view  duplicate  lines — whether  got  up 
by  schemers,  contractors,  or  bona-fide  companies — 
have  been  authorised  and  constructed  in  all  directions. 
Thus,  veering-  about,  our  legislators  have  granted 
powers  enabling  the  competing  companies  to  amalga- 
mate, or  to  enter  into  combinations  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  competition,  by  which  the  benefits 
originally  promised  have  been  entirely  nullified. 
There  has  thus  been  a  great  waste  of  capital  in 
Parliamentary  contests,  and  in  the  construction  of 
unnecessarily  expensive  lines  of  railway ;  and  while 
some  of  the  companies  have  been  reduced  to  bank- 
ruptcy, and  all  have  been  more  or  less  impoverished, 
the  result  to  the  public  is  that  they  have  to  pay  more 
for  travelling  by  railway  in  England  than  in  any  other 
country  in  Europe."* 

To  return  to  the  position  of  the  South-Eastern 
Railway.  The  directors  had  admitted,  when  before 
Parliament,  the  desirableness  of  obtaining  access  to  a 
terminal  station  at  the  West  End  of  London  ;  and  in 
1857,  they  pledged  themselves  to  call  their  proprietors 
together,  and  ''recommend  them  to  promote  or 
concur  in  the  prosecution  in  next  session,  of  such  a 
scheme  as  will  effectually  supply  access  to  the  West 
End  of  London,  and  so  complete  the  system  of 
railway  accommodation  for  Kent  and  the  Continent." 
Nothing  was,  however,  done  to  redeem  this  pledge. 
But  it  occurred  to  me,  as  well  as  to  others  of  the 

*  Quarterly  Review^  No.  250.  In  this  article  I  endeavoured  to 
give  the  results  of  much  railway  experience.  I  contrasted  the  results 
of  railways  in  Belgium  with  those  in  England,  and  recognised  the 
enlightened  policy  adopted  by  King  Leopold  and  his  ministers.  I 
quote  the  words  of  the  leading  railway  managers  (p.  322)  as  to  the 
utter  uselessness,  as  well  as  the  manifest  injury,  of  unrestricted  com- 
petition. I  advocate  (what  many  people  will  not  agree  with)  the 
combination  of  all  the  Irish  railways,  into  one  company,  either  to  be 
worked  by  the  State,  or  by  one  joint-stock  concern,  as  by  far  the  most 
conducive  to  public  interest  and  advantage.  The  late  Sir  Rowland 
Hill  was  also  in  favour  of  this  view. 


1859-60]     CHAIIING  CROSS   STATION        237 

staff,  that  we  ought  to  do  something  to  keep 
faith,  not  only  with  Parliament,  but  with  the  share- 
holders. 

The  general  manager  ordered  a  return  to  be 
made  of  the  directions  taken  by  the  passengers 
leaving  the  London  Bridge  Station.  From  this,  it 
appeared  that  a  very  large  proportion — more  than 
three-fifths — were  for  places  west  of  Temple  Bar,  and 
especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Charing  Cross. 
The  result  of  the  inquiry  was,  that  Charing  Cross 
was  found  to  be  the  most  convenient  site  for  a  West 
End  terminus.  It  formed  the  centre  of  a  series  of 
important  thoroughfares  ramifying  in  all  directions 
— to  Westminster  and  the  Houses  of  Parliament ; 
to  Regent  Street,  Pall  Mall,  Piccadilly,  and  the 
West  End  squares ;  as  well  as  to  St  Martin's  Lane, 
leading  to  Oxford  Street  on  the  north,  and  to  the 
Strand,  in  the  east.  It  was  found  that,  in  view 
of  the  population  to  be  accommodated,  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  important  public  exhibitions  and  in- 
stitutions, and  the  persons  likely  to  travel  upon 
the  railway,  a  station  at  Charing  Cross  would  be 
much  more  convenient  than  those  at  the  other 
proposed  alternative  sites  —  at  York  Road  or 
Battersea  (south  of  the  Thames),  or  at  Pimlico 
(north  of  the  river),  where  we  should  be  merely 
alongside  of  our  rivals  of  the  Brighton  and  Chatham 
Companies. 

After  obtaining  all  the  requisite  information,  and 
conferring  with  Mr  Rees,  the  solicitor  of  the  company, 
and  Mr  Ryde,  the  surveyor,  I  prepared  an  elaborate 
report,  which  I  first  submitted  to  Mr  Eborall,  and, 
after  it  had  received  his  sanction,  I  laid  it  before  the 
Board  in  February  1858.  The  Board  would  not 
undertake  to  make  the  extension  to  the  West  End, 


238  RAILWAY  WORK 

notwithstanding  their  pledge  to  Parliament.  But 
they  had  no  objections  "to  promote  or  concur 
in  the  prosecution"  of  the  proposed  extension. 
They  were  opposed  to  the  construction  of  new 
branches,  and  still  desirous  of  ''closing  the  capital 
account." 

But  how  was  the  extension  of  the  line  to  Charing 
Cross  to  be  made?  By  an  independent  company, 
supported  by  the  South- Eastern.  They  gave  me 
permission  to  take  steps  to  form  such  a  company. 
Four  gentlemen  from  the  outside  were  induced  to 
join,  and,  with  four  South-Eastern  directors,  a  Board 
was  formed,  of  which  the  South-Eastern  chairman 
was  appointed  president.  I  prepared  a  prospectus, 
and  issued  it  to  the  public.  A  considerable  number 
of  shares  were  applied  for,  and  in  the  long  run 
the  South-Eastern  company  subscribed  for  the 
remainder. 

Many  years  before,  the  London  and  South- 
western Company  had  obtained  an  Act  extending 
their  line  from  Waterloo  Station  to  the  south  end  of 
London  Bridge.  The  line  passed  through  a  very 
inferior  description  of  house  property,  of  compara- 
tively inconsiderable  value.  This  Act  had  been 
allowed  to  lapse,  through  the  effluxion  of  time.  The 
London  and  South- Western  directors  were  waited  on, 
for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  they  would 
now  concur  in  the  renewed  application  to  Parlia- 
ment, as  the  extension  of  their  line  to  the  City 
would  be  not  less  valuable  than  the  extension  of  the 
South-Eastern  to  the  West  End.  But  they  declined, 
and  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  proceed  to 
Parliament  alone. 

Mr  Ryde  laid  out  the  new  line  of  railway;  and 
Mr   Rees,   the  solicitor,   assisted  in   the  promotion 


1859-60]    MODIFICATION   OF   SCHEME      239 

of  the  Bill  through  Parliament.  Both  worked  with 
great  ability  and  energy.  Mr  Eborall,  the  general 
manager,  gave  his  cordial  assistance,  as  he  saw 
that  the  new  line  would  eventually  give  his  com- 
pany the  command  in  a  great  measure  of  the 
West  End  traffic.  We  had  the  advantage,  also, 
of  securing  the  assistance  of  Mr  (now  Sir  John) 
Hawkshaw,  as  our  leading  parliamentary  engineer. 
Mr  Toogood  was  appointed  the  parliamentary  agent. 

It  was  originally  intended  that  the  West  End 
station  should  be  on  the  spot  occupied  by  Northum- 
berland House.  The  Duke  of  Northumberland's 
solicitors  were  seen ;  and  though  they  were  at  first 
agreeable,  the  duke  afterwards  withdrew  his  assent. 
As  his  opposition  would  most  probably  have  been 
fatal  to  the  Bill,  the  site  was  subsequently  changed 
to  Hungerford  Market ;  and  as  the  old  suspension 
bridge  at  Hungerford  was  not  a  paying  property, 
we  were  able  to  buy  the  whole  affair  at  a  com- 
paratively moderate  price.  Curiously  enough,  the 
chairman  of  the  Hungerford  market  and  bridge  was 
a  director  of  the  South-Eastern  Company ;  and  he 
was  enabled  to  perform  a  little  manipulation  with  the 
depreciated  shares  of  the  former  company,  very  much 
to  his  own  advantage.  From  an  unwilling  abettor 
of  the  Charing  Cross  line,  he  thenceforward  became 
a  cordial  supporter.  Thus  the  whole  body  were 
pulled,  like  sheep  through  a  hedge,  onwards  towards 
Charing  Cross. 

The  Bill  went  before  Parliament  in  1859,  and  was 
strongly  opposed,  principally  by  the  Brighton  Railway 
Company  and  the  trustees  of  St  Thomas's  Hospital. 
The  former  declined  to  join  in  the  extension,  and 
probably  were  opposed  to  our  establishing  a  West 
End    station    in    competition    with    their     Pimlico 


240  EAILWAY  WORK 

terminus.  But  the  chief  opposition  was  from  St 
Thomas's  Hospital.* 

It  happened  that  the  proposed  line  could  not  be 
constructed  without  passing  through  a  corner  of  the 
hospital  grounds,  though  without  touching  the 
hospital  buildings  themselves.  The  governors  were 
of  opinion  that  the  construction  of  the  railway  would 
be  fatal  to  the  continued  use  of  the  place  for  medical 
purposes ;  and  there  may  have  been  some  reason  for 
their  contention.  At  all  events,  the  parliamentary 
committee  adopted  their  view.  They  passed  the  Bill, 
with  the  provision  that  the  railway  company  should, 
if  called  upon,  purchase  the  whole  of  the  hospital 
grounds  and  buildings. 

The  Bill  was  admirably  advocated  before  the 
Commons  Committee  by  Mr  (afterwards  Sir)  W.  J. 
Alexander,  Bart.  The  printed  document  which  I 
had  prepared  for  the  South-Eastern  Board  formed 
his  principal  brief;  and  the  facts  and  figures  it 
contained  were  publicly  stated  before  the  committee, 
and  were  never  contradicted.  The  great  battle  with 
the  hospital  trustees  was  settled  in  the  Commons, 
and  the  Bill  passed  the  Lords  without  any  diffi- 
culty. 

Then  came  the  purchase  of  the  hospital  property 
and  buildings.  It  was  certainly  a  very  heavy  case — 
perhaps  the  largest  that  had  ever  come  before  an 
arbitrator  in  London.  The  price  to  be  paid  by  the 
railway  company  was  to  be  settled  by  an  independent 
valuer.  Such  a  person  was  found  at  Manchester.  The 
arbitrator's  court  was  held,  with  barristers,  solicitors, 
leading  valuers,  and  numerous  witnesses.  Evidence 
was  given  without  limit.     The  arbitrator  shed  his 

*  This  hospital  was  then  situated  in  High  Street,  Southwark,  in 
a  building  erected  in  1706. — Ed. 


1860]  ARBITRATOR'S  AWARD  241 

lustre  upon  the  court  for  a  fortnight.  At  length, 
after  the  leading  barristers — including-  Lloyd,  of 
"  Lloyd's  bonds" — had  delivered  their  final  speeches, 
the  arbitrator  retired  to  prepare  his  final  award. 

The  arbitrator  proved  a  very  Daniel.  He  at 
length  gave  in  his  award,  duly  signed  and  attested. 
It  was  that  the  railway  company  should  pay  the 
sum  of  ;^2 90,000  for  the  property  and  buildings  of  St 
Thomas's  Hospital!  It  was  a  very  large  sum  indeed. 
But  how  had  the  sapient  arbitrator  arrived  at  this 
precise  amount  ?  The  valuers  were  all  in  a  dilemma. 
At  last,  Mr  Ryde  called  in  upon  me  one  day,  and 
said,  **  I  have  found  it  out!  Yes!  here  it  is!"  He 
showed  me  the  figures  of  the  various  valuers.  There 
were  nine  in  all.  ''Add  these  up,  and  divide  by 
nine,  and  there  is  the  result — ;^290,ooo!"  Any 
School  Board  pupil  teacher,  or  even  any  unskilled 
labourer,  with  a  little  knowledge  of  arithmetic,  might 
have  done  as  much.  There  was  scarcely  any  need 
to  send  all  the  way  to  Manchester  for  a  second 
Daniel  like  this.  And  yet  it  is  to  be  feared  that  this 
rough-and-ready  method  of  arriving  at  a  valuation 
is  not  unknown  among  city  valuers  even  at  the 
present  day. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  say  anything  about  the 
superiority  of  Charing  Cross  as  a  West  End  terminus. 
When  Boswell  spoke  to  Dr  Johnson  of  the  quick 
succession  of  people  passing  along  Fleet  Street,  the 
doctor  said,  ''Why,  sir.  Fleet  Street  has  a  very 
animated  appearance;  but  I  think  the  full  tide  of 
human  existence  is  at  Charing  Cross!"  It  is  the 
same  now  as  it  was  a  hundred  years  ago.  Charing 
Cross  is  still  the  centre  of  the  West  End.  Nothing 
can  be  compared  with  it  for  situation.  It  is  close  to 
all  the  great  clusters  of  traffic.     Carried  on  a  lofty 

Q 


242  EAILWAY  WORK 

viaduct  across  the  Thames,  and  on  a  level  with  the 
adjacent  streets,  the  Charing-  Cross  Station  is 
brought  almost  to  the  very  doors  of  an  immense 
mass  of  people  living,  or  having  to  do  business,  in 
the  western  parts  of  London. 

Before  the  line  was  made,  the  bridges  across  the 
Thames  were  overcrowded  with  'buses,  cabs,  and 
hansoms,  carrying  passengers  to  and  from  the 
terminus  at  the  south  end  of  London  Bridge.  After 
the  opening  of  the  line,  at  the  beginning  of  1864,  the 
bridges  were  in  a  great  measure  cleared,  and  a  great 
advantage  was  thus  conferred  upon  the  public.  But 
it  was  not  for  a  merely  philanthropic  benefit  that  the 
Charing  Cross  Railway  was  constructed.  The 
South-Eastern  Company  itself  derived  the  principal 
advantage.  The  new  line  opened  up  the  whole  range 
of  sea  coast,  along  the  mouth  of  the  Thames,  and 
round  by  Dover  to  Hastings,  to  an  immense  new 
mass  of  population  in  the  western  parts  of  London  ; 
it  also  brought  the  wealthiest  travelling  class  in 
direct  communication  with  the  Continent,  by  Folke- 
stone and  Boulogne,  and  by  Dover  and  Calais. 

Where  a  large  and  rapidly  increasing  city  has 
to  be  supplied  with  railway  facilities,  as  I  have 
already  said,  the  capital  account  cannot  be  kept 
"closed."  The  railway  company  must  enlarge  its 
accommodation  according  to  the  increasing  demands. 
When,  therefore,  it  was  found  that  the  Brighton 
Company  were  secretly  negotiating  with  contractors 
for  the  extension  of  their  lines  to  Tunbridge  Wells, 
in  violation  of  the  territorial  arrangement  existing 
between  the  companies,  our  general  manager,  Mr 
Eborall,  boldly  laid  a  scheme  before  the  Board,  for 
constructing  a  direct  line  between  Lewisham  and 
Tunbridge  (by  Sevenoaks)  and  a  loop  line  between 


1860-4]       RESULT   OF  EXTENSIONS  243 

Lee  and  Dartford,  thereby  cutting  off  the  angle  at 
Redhill,  and  bringing  the  line  into  direct  communi- 
cation with  Folkestone  and  Dover  on  the  one  hand, 
and  Tunbridge  Wells  and  Hastings  on  the  other ;  while 
a  direct  connection  was  made  with  the  whole  line  of  the 
North  Kent  communications,  as  far  as  Gravesend, 
Chatham,  and  Maidstone,  and  afterwards  Victoria  on 
the  Medway. 

Had  the  ** capital  account"  been  ** closed,"  and 
the  Charing  Cross  line  not  been  made,  in  addition  to 
these  other  important  extensions,  the  South-Eastern 
Company — to  use  a  favourite  phrase — would  Inevi- 
tably have  been  ''smashed  up."  We  should  have  had 
no  station  but  at  the  south  end  of  London  Bridge ; 
while  the  Brighton  and  the  Chatham  and  Dover 
Companies  would  each  have  possessed  both  City  and 
West  End  stations.  Away  would  have  gone  the  bulk 
of  the  continental,  as  well  as  the  Tunbridge  Wells 
and  Hastings  traffic.  Indeed,  the  Brighton  Company 
insisted,  in  i860,  on  70  per  cent,  of  the  Hastings 
traffic  being  granted  them  In  the  division  of  the  West 
End  traffic. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  Charing  Cross  terminus, 
and  the  direct  line  to  Tunbridge,  the  results  have 
proved  very  different.  The  capital  expended  has 
gone  up  In  amount,  yet  the  shares  have  gone  to 
a  premium,  and  the  dividends  have  been  increased. 
And  in  time  to  come,  the  public  will  have  no  reason 
to  complain  of  the  construction  of  the  Charing  Cross 
railway,  and  the  additional  facilities  which  have 
been  afforded  them,  not  only  for  access  to  suburban 
residences  In  Kent,  but  for  getting  readily  to  the 
seaside,  and  for  quick  communication  between  Dover 
and  Folkestone  and  the  continental  ports. 

All  this,    however,   may   prove  very  tedious    to 


244  RAILWAY  WOEK 

those  whose  minds  are  not  interested  and  steeped — 
as  mine  then  was  —  in  the  thought  of  London 
traffic  and  passenger  accommodation.  There  were 
many  other  things  requiring  attention.  I  remember 
a  most  important  matter — the  remodelling  of  the 
rules  and  regulations  upon  the  line,  for  the  purpose 
of  avoiding  accidents.  It  was  found,  on  inquiry, 
that  some  of  the  regulations  were  slightly  con- 
tradictory, and  that  they  wanted  codifying  and 
rearrangement.  In  rendering  these  rules  more  in- 
telligible, as  well  as  grammatical,  I  believe  that  I 
was  of  some  use. 

The  idea  of  *'an  accident"  occurring  on  the  line 
always  set  us  "in  a  quake."  Nothing  can  be  more 
horrifying  to  a  person  employed  in  railway  service. 
It  deprived  many  of  us  of  our  night's  rest.  My  dear 
friend  Eborall  was  always  of  an  anxious  turn  of  mind. 
He  could  never  get  rid  of  his  business.  He  would 
take  it  home  with  him ;  take  it  to  bed  with  him ; 
turn  it  over  and  over  to  the  loss  of  his  sleep ;  and 
rise  up  with  it  in  the  morning ;  for  it  ever  burdened 
his  mind.  Sometimes,  when  a  thing  had  struck  him 
in  the  night  that  he  wished  to  remember,  he  would 
get  up,  light  the  gas,  and  commit  it  to  his  memor- 
andum book. 

But  the  most  careful  preliminary  arrangements 
cannot  overcome  the  infirmities  of  human  nature. 
Rules  may  be  perfect ;  but  not  men.  I  remember 
one  day  Eborall  rushed  into  my  room,  which  adjoined 
his  own,  and  said,  with  frightful  alarm,  "  I  am  off  to 
Staplehurst  by  a  special  engine :  I  hear  there  is  an 
awful  accident."  It  was  too  true.  It  appeared  that 
the  *' ganger,"  or  superintendent  of  plate-layers,  had 
taken  up  a  portion  of  the  line  overhanging  a  rivulet, 
for  the  purpose  of  repairing  it  with  new  beams  and 


1865]     ACCIDENT  AT   STAPLEHURST     245 

rails.  He  had  looked  at  his  time-book,  but  mistaken 
the  hour !  On  the  previous  day,  the  tidal  train  would 
not  have  arrived  till  about  two  hours  later ;  but  now 
(without  his  knowing-  it,  through  his  individual  mis- 
take) it  was  due !  He  had  not  even  sent  his  signalman 
along-  the  line,  to  protect  the  road.  Up  came  the  train 
from  Folkestone,  and  dashed  into  the  opening ;  and 
eight  of  the  fourteen  carriages  were  thrown  into  the 
brook  underneath.  It  is  a  dreadful  thing,  even  to 
think  of.  The  event  occurred  on  a  fine  afternoon  in 
June  1865. 

Of  course,  the  company  had  to  bear  all  the 
expense  involved  by  the  accident.  Everything  was 
done  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers,  and  the  people  of 
the  neighbourhood  were  most  kind.  Gallimore,  the 
district  inspector,  and  Benge,  the  foreman  platelayer, 
were  found  guilty  of  manslaughter,  and  were  sent  to 
prison.  But  their  punishment  could  not  remedy  the 
awful  injury  that  had  been  done. 

Not  long  after  the  accident,  a  young  lady  called 
upon  Mr  Eborall,  and  claimed  some  damage  for  the 
injury  done  to  her  dress.  As  it  was  necessary  to  ask 
for  references — for  it  was  a  practice  of  certain  persons 
to  make  a  trade  of  claiming  compensation  in  railway 
accidents — he  desired  to  know  if  any  person  was  with 
her  at  the  time  the  accident  occurred.  *'Yes!"  she 
said,  ''my  mother,  and  Mr  Charles  Dickens."  This 
was  the  first  time  we  had  heard  that  Charles  Dickens 
was  in  the  train.  I  believe  that  he  first  referred  to 
the  fact  at  the  conclusion  of  his  novel  of  Edwm 
Drood,  He  died  five  years  later.  Although  railway 
collisions  sometimes  produce  permanent  injury  to  the 
brain,  I  never  heard  that  he  suffered  from  this  cause. 
He  died  most  probably  from  too  much  work,  too  much 
reading  of  his  works,  and  too  much  unrest. 


246  RAILWAY  WORK 

Shortly  after  the  occurrence  of  the  above  event, 
we  were  invaded  by  a  number  of  inventors,  all 
sug-gestingf  remedies  for  railway  accidents.  The 
most  extraordinary  applicant  was  an  old  sea  captain. 
He  said  no  accident  need  occur  if  his  remedy  were 
adopted.  What  was  it?  It  was  to  provide  two 
strong  anchors  and  chains,  suspended  to  the  last 
carriage  of  every  train.  When  an  accident  seemed 
likely  to  occur,  the  anchors  were  to  be  suddenly  let 
go!  I  need  scarcely  say  what  would  have  been  the 
result  of  the  adoption  of  this  plan.  One  might  as 
well  have  run  the  train  against  a  brick  wall.  The 
result  would  certainly  have  been  the  destruction  of 
most  of  the  carriages,  and  the  ripping  up  of  about  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  permanent  way.  It  was  merely 
an  illustration  of  the  old  story  of  ''Nothing  like 
leather ! " 


CHAPTER  XVI 

LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,  AND  OTHER  WORKS 

I  LED  a  double  life  at  this  time — my  life  at  the  office 
and  my  life  at  home.  Many  men  of  business  do  this. 
After  a  day's  labour  they  look  forward  to  pleasure — 
to  domestic  comfort,  to  evening  enjoyment,  to  exer- 
cise and  change  of  occupation,  and  to  work  that  is 
grateful  instead  of  work  that  is  worrying.  It  was 
my  practice,  at  the  time  of  which  I  write,  to  wind 
up  the  day  by  a  game  of  billiards  with  one  or  other 
of  my  sons.  It  was  a  capital  exercise  —  rather 
tiring,  and  not  too  exciting — before  retiring  for  the 
night. 

A  wise  man  accumulates  his  force  by  means  of 
rest.  Seeming  idleness  is  not  all  idleness.  It  means 
recuperation.  A  man  enjoys  his  rest  all  the  better 
because  of  work ;  and  he  will  do  his  work  all  the 
better  because  of  rest.  In  fact,  we  must  rest  In  order 
to  work.  At  the  same  time,  change  of  occupation  is 
often  equivalent  to  rest.  Hence  Fenelon  said,  *'Le 
changement  des  Etudes  est  toujours  un  delassement 
pour  moi."  Many  brain-workers  have  recognised 
the  truth  of  this  Idea. 

I  had  always  plenty  of  Intellectual  amusements 
and  occupations  to  fill  up  my  leisure  hours.  I  had 
enough  work  mapped  out  to  fill  up  many  years.     If 


248    LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,   ETC. 

I  could  not  accomplish  it,  some  one  else  would.  No 
matter  :  there  was  always  something  to  look  forward 
to  in  hope.  I  even  found  that  the  Intervals  of  busy- 
life  might  be  more  favourable  to  effective  study  than 
altogfether  unbroken  leisure.  I  pursued  knowledge 
as  a  recreation,  during  the  spare  hours  of  an 
active  official  career.  My  mind  was  active,  in  my 
journeys  to  and  from  the  office,  or  during  my  walks 
on  Blackheath  or  in  Greenwich  Park;  and  my 
thoughts  had  often  become  fittingly  clothed  with 
words,  without  a  conscious  effort,  before  I  sat  down 
to  write. 

After  it  had  been  ascertained  that  I  could  write 
a  satisfactory  book,  I  received  many  proposals  from 
publishers  and  others  to  undertake  some  special  work 
for  their  house.  But  I  kept  free  of  all  such  engage- 
ments. I  desired  to  use  my  leisure  in  my  own  way, 
and  to  be  perfectly  untrammelled  in  all  that  I  did. 
I  accepted,  however,  Mr  Murray's  invitation  to 
write  a  few  articles  for  the  Quarterly  Review.  Of 
these,  the  "Difficulties  of  Railway  Engineering" 
appeared  In  January  1858  ;  and  the  articles  on  '*  Iron 
Bridges,"  and  on  ''James  Watt"  in  July  and  October 
of  the  same  year.  Mr  Robert  Stephenson  supplied 
me  with  some  of  the  materials  for  the  article  on  ''  Iron 
Bridges." 

I  had  some  conversation  with  Mr  Stephenson  as 
to  the  work  which  I  next  thought  of  writing — The 
Lives  of  the  Engineers.  He  was  a  good  deal 
surprised  at  the  general  applause  with  which  his 
father's  Life  had  been  received.  It  was  what  he  had 
scarcely  expected ;  and  yet,  no  doubt  it  had  arisen 
mainly  through  my  not  overlaying  it  with  too  many 
engineering  details,  and  bringing  out,  as  much  as 
possible,  the  human  and  individual  character  of  the 


1860-5]        ENGINEERING  HISTORY  249 

Man.  Still,  he  doubted  whether  I  could  rely  upon 
the  same  element  of  success  In  the  lives  of  departed 
engineers,  who  had  died  and  left  scarcely  a  trace  of 
their  history — left  little  or  nothing-  behind  them  but 
their  works.  Still,  I  thought  it  possible  that  some 
interesting  reminiscences  of  personal  life  and  char- 
acter might  yet  be  collected  and  preserved  for  the 
benefit  of  others. 

On  prosecuting  the  inquiry,  I  found  the  subject 
to  be  exceedingly  attractive.  The  events  in  the  lives 
of  the  early  engineers  were,  for  the  most  part,  a 
succession  of  individual  struggles,  sometimes  rising 
almost  to  the  heroic.  In  one  case,  the  object  of 
interest  was  a  London  goldsmith,  Myddelton — the 
first  engineer  who  supplied  London  with  pure  water  ; 
in  another,  he  was  a  retired  seaman.  Captain  Perry — 
one  of  the  earliest  marsh  drainers  ;  or  a  wheelwright, 
like  Brindley,  the  great  unlettered  giant,  who  became 
the  first  English  canal  maker  ;  or  an  attorney's  clerk, 
like  Smeaton,  who  built  one  of  the  first  great  light- 
houses as  a  finger-post  of  the  sea,  on  the  Eddystone 
Rock;  or  an  instrument-maker,  like  Watt,  who 
invented  the  practical  working  steam-engine ;  or  a 
millwright,  like  Rennie,  the  constructor  of  the  noblest 
modern  bridges ;  or  a  working  mason,  like  Tel- 
ford, who  afterwards  became  a  sort  of  Colossus  of 
roads. 

All  these  men  were  strong-minded,  resolute,  and 
ingenious  men ;  impelled  to  their  special  pursuits  by 
the  force  of  their  constructive  instincts.  In  most 
cases  they  had  to  make  for  themselves  a  way ;  for 
there  was  none  to  point  out  to  them  the  road, 
which,  until  then,  had  been  untravelled.  Indeed, 
there  was  almost  a  dramatic  interest  in  their  noble 
efforts,  their  temporary  defeats,  and  eventually  their 


260    LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,   ETC. 

triumphs  ;  and  their  rising  up,  in  spite  of  mani- 
fold obstructions  and  difficulties,  from  obscurity  to 
fame. 

But  how  to  clothe  these  biographies  with  personal 
interest  .f*  This  was  a  matter  of  much  difficulty. 
But  I  did  what  I  could.  I  placed  myself  in  communi- 
cation with  all  who  were  likely  to  give  me  information. 
I  spent  the  few  brief  holidays  I  could  snatch  from  my 
daily  labour,  in  visiting  the  sites  of  the  great  engineer- 
ing works.  I  went  over  the  New  River  as  far  as  Ware 
in  Hertfordshire.  This  I  could  do  on  a  summer 
Saturday  afternoon.  I  went  down  to  Brading 
Haven  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  made  a  sketch  of 
Myddel ton's  great  embankment ;  and  I  afterwards 
spent  an  Easter  holiday  in  visiting  Myddelton's 
birthplace  at  Galch  Hill,  near  Denbigh,  North 
Wales. 

By  careful  inquiry,  I  was  enabled  to  collect  a 
great  deal  of  new  and  curious  information  about 
Brindley.  I  visited  his  works,  on  my  way  to  and 
from  Wales,  together  with  his  last  residence  at 
Turnhurst,  and  his  burial-place  at  New  Chapel  in 
the  same  neighbourhood.  I  spent  the  holiday  of 
another  year  in  visiting  the  birthplace  of  Telford 
in  Eskdale,  north  of  the  Scottish  border;  and 
there  I  found  a  great  deal  of  new  information 
about  that  distinguished  engineer.  The  same  with 
Greenock,  the  birthplace  of  Watt ;  and  Phantassie, 
in  East  Lothian,  the  birthplace  of  Rennie.  Wherever 
information  was  to  be  had,  I  endeavoured  to 
obtain  it. 

I  could  not  read  at  the  British  Museum  myself, 
or  at  the  State  Paper  Office,  or  at  the  Corporation 
Records  of  the  City  of  London  ;  but  I  obtained  the 
help  of  some  excellent   readers    and    extractors    of 


1860-5]        ENGINEERING  HISTORY  251 

evidence.  The  best  of  these  was  Mr  W.  Walker 
Wilkins  (since  dead),  to  whom  I  was  under  great 
obligations.  Mr  Martin,  editor  of  The  Statesman  s 
Year-Book,  was  also  of  great  use  to  me.  After  the 
death  of  Mr  Wilkins,  I  wished  to  have  some  assist- 
ance at  the  British  Museum  and  at  the  City  Record 
Office ;  and  observing  the  advertisements  of  several 
ladies  in  the  AthencBum  as  readers,  I  engaged  one  of 
them.  I  found  her  of  no  use ;  then  I  engaged 
another;  and  after  that  a  third.  But  I  found  that 
the  great  defect  of  ladies'  help  was  incompleteness  and 
inaccuracy.  They  neglected  dates  and  references. 
They  could  not  even  copy  correctly.  They  had  no 
originality,  and  could  not  follow  up  a  track  of  in- 
vestigation. So  that  I  had  to  go  all  over  their  work 
again  to  secure  accuracy  ;  and  as  doing  the  work 
twice  over  was  of  no  use,  I  finally  gave  them  up.  I 
hope  that  Girton  and  Newnham  will  do  something 
to  educate  ladies  in  attention,  accuracy,  and  thought- 
fulness. 

In  the  case  of  both  Wilkins  and  Martin,  they 
could  follow  out  a  special  line  of  reference ;  would 
consult  book  after  book  to  obtain  the  proper  authentic 
information ;  and  copy  accurately,  with  correct  refer- 
ences down  to  the  exact  page  and  edition  of  the  book 
copied  from.  Martin,  though  a  foreigner  (I  believe  a 
Russian,  as  he  had  the  true  Sarmatian  features),  had 
a  true  love  of  English  literature,  and  an  extensive 
knowledge  of  books. 

In  writing  out  the  lives  of  Boulton  and  Watt,  I 
had  the  advantage  of  consulting  the  whole  of  the 
literature  of  the  firm — in  the  shape  of  the  immense 
number  of  letters  in  the  possession  of  the  grandson 
of  Mr  Boulton,  the  present  occupant  of  Tew  Park, 
Oxfordshire.     These  were  kindly  sent  to  my  house, 


252    LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,   ETC. 

and  I  consulted  them  at  my  leisure.  I  also  visited 
all  the  scenes  described  in  their  story,  at  Birming- 
ham, at  Handsworth,  as  well  as  in  Scotland,  and 
in  Cornwall.  While  making  inquiries  on  the  subject 
of  Dr  Roebuck's  early  connection  with  James  Watt 
as  to  the  invention  of  the  steam-engine,  I  bethought 
me  of  my  former  acquaintance  with  John  Arthur 
Roebuck,  and  wrote  to  him  on  the  subject.  The 
following  was  his  answer  : — 


"  19  Ashley  Place, 

^' \2th  January  1858. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — 

''  I  have  been  absent  from  home  for  some 
time,  and  only  returned  last  Saturday,  so  that  I  have 
been  unable  before  to-day  to  answer  your  letter  of  the 
28th  of  December  last.     I  pray  you  to  excuse  this. 

''  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  no  information 
respecting  Dr  Roebuck's  connection  with  Watt.  We 
Roebucks  were  always  a  race  of  Ishmaelites,  and  in 
our  wanderings  we  have  seldom  paid  much  attention 
to  family  records.  The  misfortunes  which  deprived 
Dr  Roebuck  of  the  material  benefits  to  be  derived  from 
the  steam-engine,  deprived  him  also  of  any  honour  to 
which  he  might  be  entitled  from  the  same  source ; 
and  this  has  rendered  the  subject  a  sore  one  to  our 
family.  Dr  Roebuck's  share  in  the  transactions  con- 
nected with  the  steam-engine  will  never  be  known  ; 
for  mere  family  traditions  will  not  pass  for^  history. 
The  last  member  of  Dr  Roebuck's  family  (Mrs 
Stuart),  died  in  Birmingham,  I  think  in  1836  ;  and 
she  was  accustomed  to  dwell  upon  the  merits  of  her 
father,  in  language  that  would  surprise  those  who 
attribute  to  Watt  the  exclusive  merit  of  the  dis- 
coveries and  inventions  made  in  connection  with  the 
steam-engine.  But  I,  knowing  how  useless  would  be 
any  attempt  of  redistributing  that  merit,  paid  little 
attention  to  her  reclamations. 

''Accept,  I  pray,  my  thanks  for  all  that  you  have 
done,  and  believe  me,  very  truly  yours, 

"J.  A.  Roebuck." 


1860-5]  ENGINEERING  GOSSIP  253 

I  placed  my  various  friends  under  contribution 
while  writing  the  lives  of  Telford  and  Rennie,  and 
among-  other  letters  I  received  the  following-  from  the 
late  Peter  Cunningham  : — 


"25  Arlington  Street,  nth  July  i860. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — 

*'My  father  knew  Telford,  but  that 
was  all.  Out  of  his  skill  as  an  engineer,  I  re- 
member this  much  about  him.  When  a  Dumfries- 
shire lad,  he  addressed  a  poem,  not  without  merit, 
of  poetic  advice,  to  Robert  Burns ;  and  ^  when  he 
made  his  will,  and  his  fame  as  an  engineer  was 
fixed,  he  left  £soo  to  Southey,  and  ^500  to  Tom 
Campbell. 

"Of  Rennie  I  recollect  this  story,  which  I  have 
often  heard  my  father  tell ;  Rennie  having  told  it  to 
him  while  sitting  to  Chantrey,  for  what  proved  to 
be  one  of  that  sculptor's  finest  busts.  The  great 
engineer  was  being  carried  in  a  coach  and  four  to  his 
estate,  for  some  engineering  purpose.  At  the  fourth 
change  of  horses,  the^  near  side  wheeler  cast  a  shoe. 
The  roads  had  received  no  mending  from  General 
Wade  or  Macadam,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to 
pull  up  at  the  nearest  forge.  The  Vulcan  of  the 
village  was  drunk  at  a  distant  alehouse.  Luckily, 
the  forge  was  alight,  and  all  that  a  farrier  wants  was 
about.  The  man  who  gave  us  Waterloo  Bridge  set 
to  in  a  workmanlike  manner.  A  fresh  shoe  was 
forged  and  was  soon  shod  on  the  horse's  foot.  Smack 
went  the  whip,  and  quick  the  spurs ;  and  the  coach 
again  sped  off.  My  lord,*  who  was  familiar  and 
loquacious  with  Rennie  before  the  forge  adven- 
ture, became  distant  and  silent  towards  the  end 
of  the  journey.  My  lord  could  not  travel  in  a 
coach  and  four  with  a  man  who  could  blow  a 
bellows  in  a  smithy,  strip  to  the  shirt,  hammer 
Nasmyth-like  on  an  anvil,  shoe  a  horse,  and  make 

*  Presumably  a  fellow-traveller — his  fellow-travellers,  according  to 
the  version  elsewhere  adopted,  were  two  "Paisley  boddies."  See 
Lives  of  the  Engineers,  p.  379. — Ed. 


254    LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,   ETC. 

g^ood  for  his  own  advantag-e  what  Self- Help  alone 
can  do.* 

''  Would  not  this  be  a  good  motto  for  that  book — 

" '  He  either  fears  his  fate  too  much, 
Or  his  deserts  are  small, 
Who  would  not  put  it  to  the  touch, 
To  gain  or  lose  it  all. — 

'  Marquis  of  Montrose.' 


"Sir  Walter  Scott  delighted  in  these  lines,  when 
Self- Help  was  his  only  resource.- — -Ever  yours  truly, 

"  Peter  Cunningham." 


Before  the  first  two  volumes  of  the  Lives  of  the 
Engineers  were  published,  Robert  Stephenson  died. 
He  never  recovered  from  the  results  of  his  visit  to 
Norway  in  1859.  I  was  desirous  of  completing-  his 
life,  and  adding  it  to  that  of  his  father,  and  wrote  to  Mr 
Bidder,  one  of  his  executors,  to  that  effect.  I  was 
under  the  impression  that  the  two  men,  father  and 
son,  were  so  intimately  associated  in  life,  that  they 
could  not  well  be  treated  separately.  Mr  Bidder, 
however,  took  another  view.  He  wished  an  elaborate 
Life  of  Robert  Stephenson  to  be  published,  and  he 
made  applications  to  several  eminent  literary  men, 
amongst  others,  to  the  late  Sir  Arthur  Helps.  He 
then  applied  to  me,  through  Mr  Manby.  I  could 
not  undertake  to  go  again  over  the  same  ground  ;  and 
besides,  I  was  already  sufficiently  occupied  with  the 
work  in  hand.  Mr  Bidder  eventually  succeeded  in 
obtaining  the  assistance  of  two  eminent  gentlemen, 
and  the  life  was  published  in  two  large  octavo 
volumes. 

*  I  give  this  anecdote  as  related  by  Peter  Cunningham.  But  Mr 
Rennie's  son,  the  late  Sir  John  Rennie,  C.E.,  gave  me  another  version, 
which  I  accepted  as  probably  the  more  authentic. 


1860-5]      LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS      255 

Nevertheless,  I  finished  a  summary  of  the  life  of 
Robert  Stephenson,  and  published  It  with  that  of  his 
father.  Though  Robert  was  an  excellent  man,  and 
a  famous  engineer,  he  himself  admitted  that  "all 
that  he  knew  and  all  that  he  had  done  was  primarily- 
due  to  the  parent  whose  memory  he  cherished  and 
revered."  And  the  son  was  right  in  his  idea  of  the 
powerful  originality  of  his  father.  In  estimating  the 
two  men,  George  Stephenson  will  always  stand  the 
first. 

I  was  also  requested  to  write  the  Life  of  Mr 
Brassey,  the  eminent  contractor ;  but  this  I  declined 
for  the  same  reason — that  my  hands  were  full.  The 
work  was  eventually  done — and  well  done — by  the 
late  Sir  Arthur  Helps.  After  the  death  of  Mr 
Bidder,  I  was  also  solicited  to  write  his  life ;  but  I 
did  not  see  my  way  to  undertake  it — nor  the  life  of 
my  good  friend  Mr  Sopwith,  who  left  behind  him 
many  manuscript  volumes  of  recollections.  Both 
these  biographies  still  remain  to  be  written.  The 
only  engineers  I  wished  to  add  to  my  collection  were 
the  two  Brunels ;  but,  on  communicating  with  Mr 
Hawes,  I  found  that  the  family  preferred  that  the 
memoir  of  the  lad  engineer,  Isambard  Kingdom, 
should  be  written  by  his  son ;  and  there  I  left  the 
matter.  I  contented  myself  with  writing  a  review  of 
the  lives  of  the  father  and  son  in  the  Quarterly 
Review,  No.  223. 

I  may  briefly  state  that  the  two  volumes  of  the 
Lives  of  the  Engineers,  when  first  published,  were 
well  received.  The  Saturday  Review  expressed 
surprise  **that  the  idea  of  handling  the  subject  of 
engineering  in  this  manner  should  not  sooner  have 
been  seized.  No  one  but  a  professed  engineer  could 
wade  through   the  minute  professional  details  of  a 


256    LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,   ETC. 

severe  history  of  engineering- ;  and  yet  the  subject  is 
one  in  which  all  the  world,  in  this  mechanical  agfe, 
takes  a  deep  interest,  and  which  only  required  to  be 
presented  in  a  biographical  shape  to  be  cordially 
welcomed."  Although  each  of  the  four  volumes  was 
sold  at  a  guinea,  principally  because  of  the  large 
expense  incurred  in  illustrating  the  work,  6000  copies 
of  the  first  two  volumes  were  sold  within  a  compara- 
tively short  period ;  and  the  remaining  volumes  were 
also  issued  in  about  the  same  numbers.  Since  then, 
the  book  has  been  issued  in  five  volumes  at  a  much 
reduced  price. 

Mr  Gladstone  was  especially  pleased  with  the 
book  on  its  first  appearance.  Shortly  after  receiving" 
a  copy,  he  sent  me  the  followingf  letter  : — 

"11  Downing  Street,  ytk  February  1862. 

''Dear  Mr  Smiles, — 

"As  'good  wine  needs  no  bush,' 
much  less  does  any  work  of  yours,  which  you  do  me 
the  honour  and  kindness  to  present,  need  any  apology. 
I  have  begun  to  read,  with  great  interest,  your  im- 
portant work,  and  I  hope  to  peruse  it,  although  in 
little  fragments,  each  as  a  composing  draught,  at  mid- 
night hours.     Pray  accept  my  thanks. 

"It  appears  to  me  that  you  first  have  given 
practical  expression  to  a  weighty  truth — namely,  that 
the  character  of  our  engineers  is  a  most  signal  and 
marked  expression  of  British  character,  and  their  acts 
a  great  pioneer  of  British  history. — I  remain  very 
faithfully  yours, 

"W.  E.  Gladstone." 

Mr  Gladstone  afterwards  did  me  the  honour  to 
speak  of  the  work — especially  of  the  life  of  Brindley 
— with  much  commendation,  at  a  public  meetings  in 
Manchester;  and  Sir  Stafford  Northcote  did  the 
same  at  a  public  meeting-  in   Exeter.     Industry  is, 


1863]       INDUSTRIAL  BIOGRAPHY  257 

indeed,  of  no  party ;  and  men  of  all  classes  could 
well  unite  in  celebrating  the  triumphs  of  British 
Engineering-. 

Two  years  after  the  appearance  of  the  Lives  of  the 
Engineers,  I  published  what  may  almost  be  con- 
sidered a  supplement  to  them :  I  mean  the  Lives  of 
the  leading  Mechanical  Inventors  under  the  title 
of  Industrial  Biography.  In  the  preface  to  that 
book,  I  endeavoured  to  vindicate  myself  against 
critics,  who  might  think  I  had  treated  a  vulgar 
and  commonplace  subject.  History,  no  doubt, 
deals  with  the  affairs  of  courts,  the  deeds  of  states- 
men, and  the  exploits  of  warriors,  and  takes  but 
little  heed  of  inventors  or  mechanics,  on  whose 
industrial  labours  civilisation  and  history  of  the  best 
sort  mainly  depends,  but  without  exaggerating  the 
importance  of  this  class  of  biography,  I  insisted 
that  it  had  not  yet  received  its  due  share  of 
attention.  While  commemorating  the  works  and 
honouring  the  names  of  those  who  have  striven 
to  elevate  man  above  the  material  and  the  me- 
chanical, the  labours  of  the  important  industrial 
class,  to  whom  society  owes  so  much  of  its  comfort 
and  well-being,  are  also  entitled  to  consideration. 
Without  derogating  from  the  biographical  claims  of 
those  who  minister  to  intellect  and  taste,  those  who 
minister  to  utility  need  not  be  overlooked.  Thus, 
when  a  Frenchman  was  praising  to  Sir  John  Sinclair 
the  artist  who  invented  ruffles,  the  baronet  shrewdly 
remarked  that  some  merit  was  also  due  to  the  man 
who  added  the  shirt. 

I   had  the  best  possible  assistance.      The  best 

mechanics  then  living  were  ready  to  help  me.     The 

late  Mr  Penn  and  Mr  Field  communicated  a  great  deal 

of  useful  information  relative  to  Bramah,   Clement, 
•  R 


lABKA^ 


258       LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,  ETC. 

and  Maudslay,  and  to  the  introduction  of  the  slide- 
lathe,  planing--machine,  and  self-acting-  tools.  The 
late  Sir  William  Fairbairn  of  Manchester  sent  me 
his  Autobiography,  from  which  I  selected  most 
important  extracts ;  and  Mr  Nasmyth  gave  me 
his  most  interesting-  recollections,  not  only  as 
to  Maudslay,  his  friend  and  master,  but  as  re- 
gards his  own  masterly  invention  of  the  steam- 
hammer. 

The  early  part  of  the  book  contained  much  infor- 
mation as  to  the  early  use  of  metals  in  the  history  of 
civilisation  ;  first  of  copper  and  bronze,  then  of  iron, 
and  lastly  of  steel.  When  the  book  was  finished,  I 
sent  an  early  copy  to  Mr  Gladstone;  and  though 
immersed  in  work,  he  yet  sent  me,  out  of  his 
abundant  and  overflowing  knowledge,  the  following^ 
interesting  communication : — 

"  Hawarden,  Sth  November  1863. 

**  My  dear  Sir, — 

''  Pray  accept  my  best  thanks  for  your 
volume.  I  need  not  say  that  I  anticipate  from  it 
much  pleasure  and  advantage.  Indeed,  it  is  not  all 
anticipation,  for  I  have  begun.  And  I  would  observe 
that  I  know  not  whence  Mr  Mushet  obtains  warrant 
enough  for  his  proposition  that  a  knowledge  of  the 
mixture  of  tin,  zinc,  and  copper,  seems  to  have  been 
among  the  earliest  discoveries  of  the  metallurg-ist. 
Does  he  mean — what,  indeed,  seems  to  be  rather 
commonly,  but,  as  I  think,  rather  strangely,  assumed 
— namely,  that  mixed  metals  were  used  before  pure 
ones  ?^  In  Dr  or  Professor  Wilson's  books,  it  seems  to 
be  chiefly  shown  that  a  proportion  of  the  utensils 
which  have  been  lumped  together  as  'bronze'  are 
really  of  copper  only.  Inquirers  have  not  yet,  I 
think,  made  use  enough  of  the  one  great  literary 
witness  to  the  usages  of  a  primitive  age.  Homer 
belongs  to  a  period  between  Stone  on  the  one  hand, 
and  Iron  on  the  other.     With  him,  the  use  of  Iron  is 


1863]    LETTER  FROM  MR  GLADSTONE  259 

just  beginning.  And  it  is,  I  think,  very  doubtful 
whether  he  knows  anything-  of  the  mixture  of  metals, 
though  he  was  familiar  with  the  idea  of  fusing  them. 
If  his  xtt'^'^o?  means  bronze,  then  it  is  surely  a  strange 
fact  that  he  has  no  word  for  Copper,  which  must  have 
been  a  very  common  metal ;  while  he  has  a  word  for 
Tin,  which  was  a  very  rare  one,  and  of  which  he 
often  mentions  the  single,  but  never  the  compound 
use. — Believe  me,  very  faithfully  yours, 

**W.  E.  Gladstone." 


Let  me  also  give  another  letter  from  Mr  Cobden 
— the  last  I  received  from  him.  I  had  occasional 
opportunities  of  meeting  him  in  London,  though  I 
had  never  an  opportunity  of  meeting  him  at  his  house 
at  Midhurst,  to  which  he  kindly  invited  me.  The 
only  occasion  on  which  I  saw  the  place  was  when  I 
attended  the  funeral  of  the  great  free-trader,  about 
eighteen  months  later. 

"Midhurst,  8M  November  1863. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — 

"  Pray  accept  my  thanks  for  your  very 
interesting  volume.  It  is  very  gratifying  to  me  to  be 
remembered  by  one  for  whom  I  have  always  enter- 
tained a  high  respect.  I  have  observed  with  much 
interest  the  direction  in  which  you  have  employed 
your  pen.  The  field  has  been  a  new  one,  and 
peculiarly  suited  to  your  powers.  I  venture  the 
prediction  that  not  only  an  enduring"  but  an  increasing- 
renown  will  attach  to  the  mernoirs  of  these  '  Captains 
of  Industry'  whose  biographies  you  have  recorded; 
for  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  each  succeeding  g-enera- 
tion  will  hold  in  higher  estimation  those  discoveries 
in  physical  science  to  which  mankind  must  attribute 
henceforth  so  largely  its  progress  and  improvement. 
It  is  not  to  me — whom  George  Combe  discovered  to 
possess  a  large  bump  of  '  veneration ' — an  agreeable 
thought,  but  I  sometimes  suspect  that  the  world  will 
be  indebted  for  its  civilisation,  and  for  the  ameliora- 
tion of  its  international  relations,  less  to  those  pre- 


260       LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,  ETC. 

cepts  of*  religion  which  every  nation  disregards  when 
convenient,  than  to  the  progress  of  physical  science, 
whose  laws  will  bind  all  countries  in  equal  and 
inevitable  subjection.  That  is,  however,  a  wide 
question ;  and  I  should  like  to  make  it  the  text  for  a 
gossip  with  you  on  the  neighbouring  South  Downs. 
Again  thanking  you  for  remembering  me,  believe 
me,  yours  very  truly, 

"R.    COBDEN." 

Some  people  wondered  how  I  contrived  not  only 
to  perform  the  secretarial  work  of  a  large  company, 
but  to  write  books  requiring  a  good  deal  of  labour 
and  research.  I  remember  once  giving  this  explana- 
tion. It  all  arises  from  the  frugal  use  of  time;  and 
by  the  thought  that  when  once  passed  it  can  never 
be  recalled.  Pereunt  et  imputantur — ''The  hours 
perish  and  are  laid  to  our  charge" — as  is  written  on 
the  dial  of  All  Souls,  Oxford — a  solemn  and  striking 
admonition  to  all  men.  My  method  was,  to  accom- 
plish everything  during  the  hours  of  business,  and 
allow  no  arrears  to  accumulate.  I  never  carried 
any  subject  of  anxiety,  or  undone  work,  home  with 
me.  I  cleared  everything  off  as  it  arose.  My  short- 
hand writers  enabled  me  to  do  that.  I  was  thus  ready 
every  morning  for  the  first  new  thing  that  offered. 

When  the  day's  work  was  over,  I  went  home  with 
a  mind  comparatively  free,  and  then  I  was  able  to  sit 
down  in  my  study  with  the  satisfaction  of  duty  done, 
ready  to  take  a  part  in  filling  up  some  unoccupied 
niche  in  the  literature  of  my  country.  And  if  any  one 
devotes  an  hour  a  day,  or  even  half-an-hour  to  this 
purpose,  it  is  astonishing  what  a  great  amount  of 
literary  work  may  be  accomplished  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years.  As  most  of  the  work  that  I  have 
done  has  been  done  by  snatches,  and  at  odd 
moments,    sometimes    with    long    intervals    of  rest 


1863]  OVERWORK  261 

between  them,  I  trust  that  this  circumstance  will 
be  taken  into  account  by  those  who  criticise  *my 
intermittent  performances. 

My  friend  Mr  Wills,  then  editor  of  All  the  Year 
Round,  was  one  of  those  who  wondered  at  the  various 
kinds  of  work  which  I  g-ot  through.  He  sent  me  the 
following-  letter  on  the  subject : — 

"26  Wellington  Street,  Strand, 
"  \oth  November  1863. 

"  My  dear  Smiles, — 

*'I  am  ashamed  to  have  delayed  thank- 
ing you  for  your  very  acceptable  present  until  now. 
I  know  that  the  plea  of  '  want  of  time '  made  to  you 
would  not  be  adrnitted,  for  you  seem  to  create  time — 
to  have  twenty-eight  or  thirty  hours  in  each  of  your 
days  ;  less  favoured  mortals  having  only  twenty-four. 
To  be  able  to  rnanage  the  secretariat  of  a  great  rail- 
way, and  to  write  books  too,  can  only  be  accounted 
for  on  this  theory. — Ever  faithfully  yours, 

"W.  H.  Wills." 

My  friend  Wills  did  not  know  the  exact  truth. 
The  fact  is,  I  was  engaged  in  burning  the  candle  at 
both  ends!  I  was  trying  to  do  too  much.  I  re- 
member an  anecdote  of  George  Stephenson,  who 
certainly  did  not  stint  himself  in  work ;  but  he  saw 
in  others  the  evils  of  which  he  was  not  conscious  in 
himself  To  a  young  friend  he  said,  ''You  are  over- 
doing things.  The  brain  can  only  stand  a  certain 
amount  of  work.  If  you  try  to  do  too  much,  nature 
will  beat  you.  There  are  only  sixteen  ounces  to  be 
got  out  of  the  pound  :  remember  that ! " 

The  advice  was  no  doubt  very  true,  but  sanguine 
people  overlook  caution  and  prudence.  When  I  got 
home  at  night,  I  took  a  good  cup  of  tea  to  freshen  me 
up.  Then  I  sat  down  and  used  my  brain  for  three  or 
four  hours.     I  sometimes  worked  until  a  late  hour. 


262     LIVES  OF  THE  ENGINEERS,  ETC. 

My  brain  became  excited,  and  then  I  could  not  sleep. 
But  as  I  must  have  a  night's  rest  with  a  view  to  the 
labours  of  the  following-  day,  I  began  the  practice  of 
taking  sedatives.  I  knew  it  was  wrong;  and  yet  I 
did  it.  I  was  trying  to  get  eighteen  ounces  out  of 
the  pound ;  and  I  found  that  it  would  not  do.  I 
might  have  known  it  beforehand ;  for  I  had  written 
and  thought  much  about  health  and  its  normal  con- 
ditions. The  result  was  that  I  got  hipped,  ill,  and 
miserable.  The  result  of  taking  hyoscyamus  to  pro- 
voke sleep  is  frightful.  It  gives  one  the  most  depress- 
ing views  of  life ;  as,  in  fact,  is  the  case  with  most 
sedatives.  But  I  think  hyoscyamus  is  the  worst  of 
all  in  that  respect. 

Then  I  was  worried ;  and  worry  is  more  hurtful 
than  work.  I  need  not  say  how  it  was :  but  I  was 
not  disposed  to  remain  in  the  position  that  I  then 
occupied.  I  had  no  desire  to  rely  upon  literature.  I 
looked  upon  that  as  a  staff,  not  as  a  crutch.  Indeed, 
I  had  offers  which  I  might  have  accepted  had  I 
wished  to  confine  myself  to  the  pen  only.  But  I 
did  not.  Another  opportunity  offered.  Mr  Gilpin, 
M.P.,  a  director  of  the  South-Eastern  Company,  was 
also  a  director  of  an  assurance  company,  and  he  com- 
municated to  me  the  offer  of  a  position  in  the  latter 
company  at  the  same  salary  as  I  was  then  receiving. 
I  consulted  my  friend  Mr  Eborall,  and  he  advised  me 
to  accept  the  offer.  Hence,  on  the  30th  August  1866, 
I  ceased  to  be  a  railway  secretary,  after  twenty-one 
years'  connection  with  railways. 

I  parted  with  my  old  company  on  the  best  of 
terms.  The  directors  were  generous  to  me  on  leav- 
ing. They  conveyed  to  me,  in  a  Board  minute,  their 
cordial  thanks  for  my  services,  made  me  a  handsome 
present,  including  a  service  of  plate,  and  a  pass  over 


1866]       I   LEAVE  RAILWAY  WOEK        263 

the  company's  lines  as  long  as  I  lived.  The  office- 
staff  of  the  company  also  made  me  a  present  of 
plate  in  addition  to  that  given  by  the  directors. 
Both  of  these  were  presented  to  me  with  complimen- 
tary speeches  at  the  handsome  dinner  given  on  the 
occasion  of  my  final  departure. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  HUGUENOTS TRAVELS    IN   FRANCE 

My  new  occupation  was  of  a  comparatively  easy  sort. 
It  required  attention,  judgment,  trustworthiness  ;  and 
I  hope  that  I  did  the  work  allotted  to  me,  thoroughly 
and  faithfully.  But  there  Is  no  need  to  go  Into  any 
details  about  It. 

Among  other  things,  I  required  to  travel  about 
the  country  a  good  deal.  In  this  occupation  I 
gained  change  of  scene,  healthy  associations,  and 
Increasing  knowledge  of  character.  I  did  not 
altogether  give  up  the  use  of  my  literary  faculty.  I 
read  a  good  deal,  and  made  many  notes.  In  course 
of  time,  I  arranged  a  perfect  storehouse  of  informa- 
tion relative  to  race  and  biography.  Some  of  this  I 
have  used,  but  the  bulk  of  it  remains  unused. 

In  the  course  of  my  travels,  I  think  I  must  have 
visited  all  the  principal  towns  and  cities  In  Britain. 
I  was  asked  to  deliver  lectures  at  the  Philosophical 
Institution  at  Edinburgh,  at  the  Glasgow  Athenaeum, 
and  at  Liverpool  and  Manchester.  But  I  was  averse 
to  lecturing,  and  declined  the  invitations.  I  did, 
however,  go  to  Huddersfield,  and  deliver  an  address 
on  Technical  Education,  in  October  1867 — long  before 
the  subject  had  become  matter  of  public  agitation. 
The  Society  of  Arts  did  me  the  honour  of  printing 

264 


1867]  THE  HUGUENOTS  265 

my  address  in  their  Journal  of  the  13th  December  of 
that  year. 

When  I  went  to  Dublin,  I  consented  to  give  a 
lecture  on  '*  The  Hugfuenots  "  before  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  I  had  an  excellent  and  most 
sympathising-  audience ;  and  received  many  compli- 
ments from  the  distinguished  persons  who  were 
present,  and  I  afterwards  gave  the  same  lecture  at 
Hull.  I  was  induced  to  prosecute  my  inquiries  into 
the  subject,  and  at  length  became  greatly  interested  in 
it.  The  Huguenots,  banished  out  of  France  for 
conscience'  sake  about  two  hundred  years  ago,  were 
all  men  of  a  high  standard  of  character ;  and  their 
descendants  for  the  most  part  shared  in  their 
distinction. 

A  man  who  is  ready  to  give  up  -his  fortune  and 
his  country  for  the  sake  of  his  religion,  will  commonly 
be  found  a  man  not  only  of  unusual  virtue,  but  of 
unusual  vigour  and  determination.  Aristocrats  who 
were  ready  to  sacrifice  their  honours  and  titles,  and 
owners  of  broad  lands  who  were  ready  to  surrender 
their  estates  rather  than  give  up  their  religion,  must 
necessarily  have  been  persons  of  remarkable  courage 
and  inflexibility  of  character.  Hence  the  British 
officers  descended  from  the  Huguenot  refugees 
were  among  the  bravest ;  the  merchants  were  among 
the  truest  and  most  conscientious  ;  and  the  mechanics 
were  among  the  cleverest  and  most  ingenious.  They 
were  for  the  most  part  marked  men,  even  among 
themselves ;  and  when  they  came  among  us,  they 
generally  became  leaders. 

At  the  same  time,  I  may  say  that  the  history  of 
the  Huguenots  was  the  history  of  a  party  who  were 
beaten  in  the  battle  of  life.  The  usual  feeling  is  in 
favour  of  men  who  have  succeeded ;  and  the  men 


266  THE  HUGUENOTS 

who  have  failed  are  generally  supposed  to  have 
deserved  their  failure.  Hence  the  Huguenots  have 
been  neglected.  Courtly  writers  blot  them  out  of 
history,  as  Louis  XIV.  desired  to  blot  them  out  of 
France.  Most  of  the  histories  of  France  published 
in  England  contain  little  notice  of  them.  I  might  have 
used  as  the  motto  of  my  book  the  following  lines  by 
Mr  Story: — 

"  I  sing  the  hymn  of  the  conquered,  who  fell  in  the  Battle  of  Life, — 
The  hymn  of  the  wounded,  the  beaten,  who  died  overwhelmed  in  the 

strife  ; 
The  hymn  of  the  low  and  the  humble,  the  weary,  the  broken  in 

heart. 
Who  strove  and  who  failed,  acting  bravely  a  silent  and  desperate 

part; 
Whose  youth  bore  no  flower  on  its  branches,  whose  hopes  burned  in 

ashes  away, 
From  whose  hands  slipped  the  prize  they  had  grasped  at,  who  stood 

at  the  dying  of  day 
With  the  wreck  of  their  life  all  around  them,  unpitied,  unheeded, 

alone. 
With  Death  swooping  down  o'er  their  failure,  and  all  but  their  Faith 

overthrown."  * 


The  Huguenots  was  published  in  November  1867, 
and  was,  on  the  whole,  well  received.  Some  10,000 
copies  of  the  book  were  printed  and  sold.  It  was 
nothing  like  so  successful  as  some  of  my  other  books, 
but  it  was  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  me  to  write 
it ;  and  I  believe  that  it  led  the  way  to  more  elaborate 
works.  In  the  first  editions  I  invited  communications 
from  the  descendants  of  banished  Huguenots.  This 
led  to  much  pleasant  correspondence,  and  the  influx 
of  a  considerable  amount  of  additional  material. 
Some  of  my  correspondents  desired  to  obtain  for  me 
information  regarding  their  missing  ancestry ;  while 

*  W.  W.  Story— ^  Poefs  Portfolio. 


1867]  LOED   EVEESLEY  267 

others  corrected  the  statements  I  had  made.  The 
latter  were  very  welcome,  as  they  enabled  me  to  correct 
the  genealogical  history  in  all  further  issues  of  the 
work.  I  will  only  quote  one  of  these  letters — that 
from  Lord  Eversley,  for  eighteen  years  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Commons  —  because  of  its  peculiar 
interest : — 

"  Heckfield  Place,  Winchfield, 
"20M  February  i868. 

"Sir,— 

*' I  have  read  with  great  interest  your 
account  of  the  religious  persecutions  in  France,  conse- 
quent upon  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 
But  I  am  anxious  to  correct  an  inaccuracy  with 
respect  to  that  branch  of  the  Lefevre  Family  with 
which  I  am  connected. 

''  I  cannot  find  an  old  pedigree  which  was  in  exist- 
ence some  years  ago  in  our  family ;  but  I  have  been 
unable  to  trace  any  connection  between  them  and  Dr 
Lefevre  of  Poitou,  or  the^  celebrated  martyr  Isaac 
Lefevre,  who,  after  suffering  great  persecution  for 
many  years,  died  in  the  prisons  of  France.  But  I 
enclose  a  pedigree,  commencing  with  Peter  Lefevre, 
who  was  born  in  1650,  having  succeeded  to  his  pater- 
nal estates  in  Norrnandy,  a  few  years  before  he  was 
forced  to  fly  with  his  family  to  England  rather  than 
renounce  his  faith.  When  he  arrived  there,  he  settled 
at  Canterbury,  and  embarked  in  trade  with  the 
capital  he  brought  over  with  him.  At  his  death,  his 
son  Isaac  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade,  and  after- 
wards set  up  for  himself  as  a  scarlet  dyer  near  Spital- 
fields.  His  brother,  as  you  have  correctly  stated, 
entered  Marlborough's  army  as  a  lieut. -colonel,  and 
afterwards  resided  at  Walthamstow,  and  was  high 
sheriff,  I  believe,  for  Essex.  Isaac  Lefevre's  son 
John  was  my  maternal  grandfather,  and  owned  the 
property  at  Old  Ford  and  Bromley,  which  is  at 
present  in  my  possession. 

''The  pedigree  I  send  you  was  made  out  from 
some  old  MSS.  in  our  family,  and  may  be  relied  upon 
as  authentic  \  and  I  forward  it  to  you,  as  I  have  no 
doubt  you  will  be  glad,  in  the  next  edition  of  your 


268  THE  HUGUENOTS 

work,  to  make  the  corrections  it  sugg-ests. — I  remain, 
Sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

''EVERSLEY." 

I  may  also  give  the  following-  letter  from  Sir  J.  R. 
Lefroy,  the  member  of  a  family  which  has  given  some 
distinguished  men  to  the  army  and  the  bench  : — 

''()th/une  1868. 

*'  My  dear  Sir, — 

"You  asked  me  two  or  three 
months  ago  for  some  information  respecting  the 
descent  of  the  Lefroy  family^  from  the  Walloon 
refugees.  I  happened  at  the  time  to  be  engaged  in 
some  family  researches,  and  postponed  my  reply  until 
I  had  concluded  them.  The  Irish  family  of  the  name 
is  descended  from  the  elder  son^  of  Anthony  Lefroy, 
a  merchant  of  Leghorn,  who  died  in  1779;  and  my 
family  from  his  second  son.  Thus  ^  Chief-Justice 
Lefroy  and  my  father  were  first  cousins. 

"  x4nthony  Lefroy  was  the  descendant  of  Anthoine 
Loffroy  of  Cambray,  who  came  to  England  in  Eliza- 
beth's reign,  probably  in  1579,  and  settled  at  Canter- 
bury, where  nis  descendants  followed  the  business  of 
silk-dyeing  for  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years — as 
long,  in  fact,  as  that  branch  of  trade  flourished  in 
Kent.  ^  Although  the  family  is  now  very  numerous, 
it  all  died  down  to  my  great  grandfather,  the  second 
Anthony,  in  the  last  century ;  and  from  him  we  all 
come.  He  was  a  great  antiquary  and  collector.  His 
museum,  when  it  was  sold  in  1763,  was  one  of  the 
finest  ever  collected  by  a  private  person  :  it'  contained 
over  6600  coins. 

**  The  tradition  is  that  the  family  motto,  *  Unitare 
Sperno,'  relates  to  the  resistance  of  our  ancestors  to 
the  persecutions  of  Alva,  and  that  a  Cap  of  Liberty 
which  we  bear  in  our  arms,  is  derived  from  the 
Beggar's  Cap  assumed  when  the  party  of  Egmont 
took  the  name  of  *  Les  Gueux.'  Anthony  Lefroy  was 
a  friend  of  Thomas  Hollis,  and  is  frequently  men- 
tioned in  his  Memoirs.  Hollis  displayed  excessive 
fondness  for  that  emblem,  and  I  have  sometimes  con- 
jectured  that   it   may  have  a   more  modern   origin. 


1867]         VISIT   TO   LA   ROCHELLE  269 

We  possess,  I  think,  nearly  all  Hollis's  publications 
presented  to  Anthony  Lefroy. — Believe  me  faithfully, 

"J.  H.  Lefroy." 

In  the  course  of  preparing  The  Huguenots,  their 
Settlements^  Churches^  and  Industries  in  Eng'land 
and  Ireland,  and  another  subsequent  work,  The 
Huguenots  in  France  after  the  Revocation  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes,  I  made  several  journeys  through 
France  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  places  made 
memorable  by  these  illustrious  men.  I  was  now  able 
to  extend  my  holidays  to  three  weeks,  instead  of  a 
fortnight,  which  was  the  extent  of  my  usual  holiday 
while  I  was  connected  with  the  railway  company. 
But  a  great  deal  of  interest  can  be  crammed  into 
three  weeks'  or  even  a  fortnight's  holiday.  Among 
other  places,  I  went  to  visit  the  port  of  La  Rochelle, 
so  celebrated  in  the  early  history  of  the  Huguenots. 

The  town  is  very  little  changed  since  it  was 
besieged  and  taken  by  the  king's  army  under 
Cardinal  Richelieu  in  the  year  1628;  although  the 
embankment  or  digue  has  been  cleared  away.  It  was 
by  means  of  this  that  the  Cardinal  blockaded  the 
mouth  of  the  port,  and  starved  the  inhabitants  of 
La  Rochelle  into  submission  to  the  royal  authority. 
Indeed,  the  two  towers  erected  at  the  entrance  to 
the  harbour,  for  the  purpose  of  commanding  the 
approach,  while  the  port  was  still  in  possession 
of  the  English  (in  the  time  of  Charles  V.  of  France), 
are  still  standing  complete,  a  testimony  to  the 
admirable  mason  work  of  the  English  artisans. 

After  the  town  was  captured  by  Richelieu,  it 
never  regained  its  former  pre-eminence.  It  is  now 
a  sluggish,  sleepy  place,  and  seems  to  belong  to  an 
old  world,  which  we  have  long  left  behind  us.  Most 
of  the  old  houses  are  standing,  though  some  of  them 


270  THE  HUGUENOTS 

are  riddled  by  bullets  fired  during-  the  siege,  especially 
one  of  the  towers  above  referred  to — the  Tour  de  la 
Chaine.  The  Church  of  Ste  Marguerite,  in  which 
Richelieu  celebrated  mass  after  entering  the  town, 
now  forms  part  of  the  establishment  of  the  Oratorian 
Freres  Chretiens.  The  Huguenot  temple  was  pulled 
down,  but  the  street  in  which  it  stood  is  still  called 
the  Rue  de  la  Preche.  The  descendants  of  Guiton, 
the  heroic  governor  of  the  town,  still  live  in  the  place ; 
but  they  are  Catholics,  like  the  descendants  of  the 
great  Duquesne  at  Poitiers. 

M.  Delmas,  the  Protestant  pastor,  took  me  over 
the  town,  and  pointed  out  the  most  notable  places 
during  the  siege — more  especially  the  Bastion  de 
I'Evangile,  where  the  Duke  of  Anjou's  assault  was 
repulsed  with  immense  loss.  He  took  me  also  to  his 
chapel,  and  took  out  a  mass  of  old  worm-eaten 
papers  from  his  document  box;  but  he  said  the 
principal  manuscripts  connected  with  the  Rochelle 
Protestants  were  in  the  Marsh  Library  at  Dublin, 
whither  they  had  been  carried  by  Dr  Bouherau, 
whose  father  had  been  pastor  of  the  place.  M. 
Delmas  said  that  the  old  Protestant  families 
almost  entirely  disappeared  after  the  sieg"e ;  many 
of  them  emigrated  to  Engfland,  and  the  others  went 
into  the  country — where  they  either  belonged  to  the 
**  Church  in  the  Desert,"  or  belonged  to  no  church 
whatever  —  except  to  the  Church  not  made  with 
hands. 

M.  Delmas  was  not  hopeful  of  the  future.  "If 
they  teach  fatalism,"  he  said,  **from  our  professors' 
chairs,  how  can  we  hope  to  gain  adherents?  We 
cannot  even  expel  materialists  or  deists  without  the 
consent  of  the  Government.  Of  course  we  are  divided 
— how  can  it  be  otherwise?    As  for  the  Catholics, 


1867]  TOUE  IN  FEANCE  271 

they  are  for  the  most  part  formalists — especially  as 
reg"ards  the  men.  When  they  do  know  anything-, 
unfortunately  they  go  out  into  the  void  of  infidelity. 
They  do  not  come  to  us." 

As  I  paced  the  ramparts  of  La  Rochelle,  I 
bethought  me  of  the  enormous  sums  raised  by  taxes 
on  human  industry,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of 
perpetuating-  hatred  between  different  classes  of  the 
community.  The  money  expended  on  these  unpro- 
ductive works  would  have  been  much  better  cast 
into  the  sea.  Wherever  I  went,  there  were  still 
armed  men  to  be  seen — foot  and  dragoons — without 
any  apparent  cause  for  their  existence.  The  thought 
occurred,  not  so  much  whether  Europe  is  Catholic  or 
Protestant,  but  whether  it  is  Christianised — whether 
it  is  civilised  ? 

When  I  left  La  Rochelle,  I  crossed  the  centre 
of  France  by  Poitiers,  Gueret,  and  Montlu9on  to 
Moulins,  the  scene  of  Sterne's  encounter  with  Maria. 
The  inn  at  which  I  put  up — though  the  best  in  the 
place — was  a  very  poor  one,  without  any  of  the 
appliances  of  modern  and  even  healthy  comfort ;  so 
I  sped  off  for  a  few  days'  rest  at  Vichy,  where  the 
hotel  accommodation  is  of  an  unexceptionable  char- 
acter. 1  then  went  on  to  Lyons  to  join  my  friend 
Mr  Milsom,  who,  though  a  Londoner,  had  settled  in 
that  city  as  a  silk  merchant.  He  was  about  to  take 
his  annual  journey  of  inspection  and  relief  to  the 
poor  Protestant  ministers  of  Dauphiny,  and  had 
invited  me  to  accompany  him. 

We  went  by  railway  to  Grenoble,  whence  we 
drove  along  the  valley  of  the  Romanche  and  the 
Drac  to  Brian^on,  a  fortified  frontier  town  situated 
almost  on  the  confines  of  France.  From  thence  the 
journey  was  performed  principally  by  walking,  some- 


272  THE  HUGUENOTS 

times  at  the  rate  of  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  miles 
a  day.  But,  as  I  have  already  fully  described  this 
journey  in  The  Country  of  the  Vaudois  annexed  to 
my  volume  on  The  Hug'uenots  in  France  after  the 
Revocation,  I  need  not  further  refer  to  it  here. 

I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  of  another 
summer  holiday  in  a  following  year,  to  visit  the 
mountainous  country  of  the  Cevennes,  and  see  the 
places  made  memorable  by  the  peasant  Camisards, 
during  the  war  which  they  carried  on  against  their 
tyrant  monarch  during  so  many  years.  I  also  visited 
the  fine  southern  towns  and  cities  of  Nismes,  Aries, 
Montpellier,  and  Marseilles.  But,  as  I  have  given 
the  results  of  my  journey  elsewhere,  I  need  not 
repeat  them  here. 

After  the  appearance  of  the  Huguenots  in  Eng- 
land and  Ireland,  a  French  translation  of  it  appeared 
in  the  following  year.  But  as  the  sheets  were  printed 
at  Strasburg,  part  of  the  impression  was  destroyed 
during  the  siege  of  that  city  by  the  German  army. 
When  those  sheets  had  been  reprinted,  the  work  was 
published  with  an  introductory  preface  by  M. 
Athanase  Coquerel,  fils.  M.  Coquerel,  after  some 
complimentary  remarks,  says  of  the  author  of  the 
work  :  ''  He  is  not  an  author  by  profession.  Occupied 
day  by  day  in  his  place  of  business  in  London,  he 
has  almost  unconsciously  acquired  the  habit  of  con- 
secrating his  leisure  to  literary  work  free  from 
pretence,  and  inspired  by  the  serious  desire  of  being 
useful.  Become  an  author  almost  without  dreaming 
of  it,  Mr  Smiles  has  found  reputation  in  this 
persevering  and  elevating  employment  of  his  hours 
of  liberty.  He  thus  forms  one  more  example,  and 
not  the  least  remarkable,  of  the  self-helping  men 
whose  lives  he  has  celebrated,  and  he  has  found  rich 


1867]  M.   COQUEREL  273 

resources  in  himself  by  the  constant  and  rational 
exercise  of  a  firm  and  persevering-  will." 

M.  Coquerel  complimented  me  very  much ;  yet  I 
did  not  quite  become  an  author  without  dreaming  of 
it.  Indeed,  from  what  I  have  said,  it  will  be  observed 
that  I  served  a  long  apprenticeship  to  literature.  1 1 
was  only  by  dint  of  labour  that  I  eventually 
overcame  the  difficulties  that  stood  in  my  way. 
Success  in  authorship  is  not  to  be  achieved  without 
labour,  any  more  than  success  in  art,  science,  or 
business. 

I  remember  very  well  the  visit  of  M.  Coquerel  to 
my  place  of  daily  occupation.  He  was  a  kind,  bright, 
cheerful  gentleman — a  very  Celt.  I  have  forgotten 
the  subject  of  our  conversation,  but  he  refers  to  it 
in  his  preface,  and  I  quote  his  words : — 

"How  had  he  been  led  to  turn  from  his  ordinary 
studies,  to  devote  himself  to  the  history  of  French 
refugees  in  England  because  of  their  religion  ?  Here 
is  his  answer  to  this  question  addressed  to  myself: 
*  In  writing-  out  the  history  of  many  celebrated 
inventors  and  mechanics;  I  was  struck^  with  meeting 
on  my  way  with  so  large  a  number  of  inventors  with 
French  names.  Surprised  at  the  fact,  I  sought  for  the 
cause,  and  there  soon  accumulated  before  me  so  large 
a  number  of  interesting  facts,  that  instead  of  devoting 
a  chapter  to  the  subject,  I  found  enough  to  occupy 
an  entire  volume.  I  then  studied  from  the  beginning 
the  history  of^  the  Huguenots :  before  long-  they 
inspired  me  with  a  vivid  interest,  which  increased 
when  I  had  been  able  to  examine  the  Registers  of 
their  churches  or  congregations  in  England,  as 
contained  in  the  numerous  books  and  documents 
preserved  at  Somerset  House  in  the  offices  of  the 
Registrar-General.  Besides  these,  I  obtained  a  great 
deal  of  information  from  the  descendants  of  the 
Exiles  for  Conscience'  Sake ;  and  now  you  have 
the  results  of  my  investigations  in  the  published 
book.'" 


274  THE  HUGUENOTS 

The  editor  thus  concludes  his  preface:  "  We  are 
amongst  those  who  wish  to  see  become  more 
common,  more  close,  more  affectionate,  the  relations 
of  France  and  England,  not  only  in  the  interest  of 
these  two  great  peoples,  magnificently  gifted  and 
endowed  each  with  a  genius  that  is  the  complement 
the  one  of  the  other,  but  for  the  good  of  the  entire 
human  family.  We  are  happy,  indeed,  to  contribute 
our  part,  however  feeble  it  may  be,  to  draw  closer 
bonds  so  useful.  It  seems  to  us  that,  by  their 
community  of  religion,  by  their  history,  their  spirit 
of  inquiry  and  examination,  the  French  Protestants 
have  in  this  respect  incurred  a  peculiar  responsibility. 
It  is  with  such  sentiments  that  we  are  happy  to 
recommend  to  French  readers  the  present  work.  To 
the  special  esteem,  which  the  author  deserves,  we  asso- 
ciate the  most  cordial  sympathy  for  the  conscientious 
efforts  of  his  translator,  a  gentleman  equally  familiar 
with  both  languages  since  his  birth.  It  is  with 
pleasure  that  he  consecrates  his  pen  to  a  work  of 
filial  piety  in  memory  of  our  persecuted  ancestors, 
and  in  ardent  fraternal  goodwill  toward  our  brothers 
of  England,  their  descendants,  or  their  hosts." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   NORTH   FRISIAN    ISLANDS 

I  DISMISSED  The  Huguenots  from  my  thoughts, 
and  took  up  a  new  subject  In  the  course  of  my  next 
holiday  tour.  I  wished  to  find  out  something-  about 
the  beginning  of  the  English  people,  and  of  the 
countries  and  races  from  which  they  had  sprung. 
To  travel  about  with  an  object  of  this  sort  in  view, 
gives  a  new  Interest  to  a  journey.  I  knew  where  I 
should  find  the  early  home  of  the  English  race — or  at 
least  of  that  part  of  it  which  is  Teutonic ;  for  the 
Englishman  Is  a  mixture  of  many  races — Welsh, 
French,  Dutch,  Saxon,  Dane,  and  Norman. 

Where  did  we  get  our  perseverance,  our  industry, 
our  inventiveness,  our  constructiveness,  our  supremacy 
In  commerce,  our  love  of  home,  and  yet  our  love  of 
the  sea,  and  of  wandering  over  the  face  of  the  earth  ? 
Had  England  been  peopled  by  Gauls,  and  the 
English  race,  as  it  is,  been  blotted  out,  I  suspect  that 
the  whole  face  of  the  world  would  have  been  different. 
We  might,  it  is  true,  have  had  the  steam-engine 
without  James  Watt,  the  locomotive  without  George 
Stephenson,  and  the  screw  steamer  without  Pellet 
Smith ;  but  what  of  the  extensive  colonisation  of 
North  America  and  Australasia  by  a  people  of 
constitutional  habits,    carrying    with    them    certain 

275  • 


276    THE  NORTH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

social,  political,  and  religious  ideas,  unlike  those  to 
be  found  in  any  other  portion  of  the  civilised 
world  ? 

I  suspect  that  we  owe  a  great  deal  of  this  remark- 
able power  to  our  ancestors  on  the  further  side  of  the 
German  Ocean,  to  the  Frisians,  whose  legitimate 
descendants  are  the  Dutch  and  the  people  of  the 
south  and  south-east  coasts  of  England ;  to  the 
Angles,  and  the  Saxons,  who  constitute  a  large  body 
of  the  mass  of  our  working  people  ;  and  to  the  Danes 
and  Northmen,  who  gave  us  that  intense  love  of  the 
ocean  which  we  still  retain.  To  these  ancestors, 
allied  in  many  respects,  we  owe  our  complex  nation- 
ality, our  self-dependence,  our  manifold  industry,  and 
our  commerce,  which  whitens  every  sea  and  kisses 
every  shore.  To  them,  too,  we  owe  our  language, 
which  literally,  as  well  as  commercially,  is  becoming 
the  most  important  language  in  the  world.  Including 
America,  India,  and  the  colonies,  it  gives  the  key  to 
the  commerce  of  more  than  300,000,000  of  people ; 
and  it  is  now  spreading,  not  only  in  books,  but  in  the 
language  of  sailors,  all  over  the  globe. 

I  had  already  travelled  through  Holland,  and 
knew  something  of  the  Frisians,  who  form,  without 
doubt,  the  foundation  element  of  Dutch  character 
and  seamanship;  but  in  the  summer  of  187 1,  I 
proposed  to  make  a  tour  through  Schleswig-Holstein, 
and  the  North  Frisian  Islands  off  the  west  coast  of 
Denmark,  where  I  believed  that  I  should  find  the 
descendants  of  forefathers  of  a  part  of  the  English 
people,  still  living  in  the  greatest  simplicity  and 
purity. 

A  great  wedge  of  the  German  race  has  thrust 
itself  into  Bremen  and  Holstein,  and  thus  separated 
the  Frisians  of  North  Holland  and  East  Friesland 


1871]  VISIT  TO  FRIESLAND  277 

from  those  of  West  Schleswig  and  the  North  Frisian 
Islands.  But  in  Hamburg  there  was  a  great  deal  to 
remind  one  of  England.  There  were  the  old  gable- 
ended  houses  in  the  more  ancient  parts  of  the  town, 
reminding  one  of  the  old  buildings  seen  in  the  Side 
at  Newcastle,  at  Wakefield,  at  Hereford,  and  at 
Canterbury.  There  were  the  Fletes,  like  the  Vliets 
of  Holland,  reminding  one  of  the  place-names  ending 
with  the  termination  *'  fleet "  (such  as  Purfleet,  North- 
fleet,  and  the  river  Fleet  itself)  on  the  Thames.  The 
people,  too,  are  like  the  people  at  home — large,  fair, 
and  well-favoured  ;  very  like  those  we  see  in  Suffolk, 
Essex,  Warwick,  Oxford,  and  in  the  Midland 
counties. 

The  country  north  of  Hamburg  is  wooded  and 
hedge-rowed,  very  like  England ;  with  much  rich 
pasture  and  corn  land  all  through  Holstein.  The 
high-stepped,  thick-thatched  roofs  cover  the  cottages 
as  well  as  the  barns,  just  as  we  see  in  old  English 
villages.  We  cross  the  river  Stoer  at  Wrist  (we  have 
a  Stour  near  Canterbury,  and  a  Stour  in  Essex),  and 
pass  northward  and  westward,  past  Niebuhr's  famous 
county  of  Ditmarchen,  so  celebrated  for  the  indepen- 
dence of  the  inhabitants.  Here  we  have  the  town  of 
Lunden  near  the  Eider,  almost  as  ancient  as  London 
on  the  Thames.  North  of  this  point,  along  the 
coast,  the  people  are  all  Frisians,  speaking  their 
own  language,  which  is  more  ancient  than  the 
modern  German,  and  really  the  foundation  of  our 
own. 

Husum,  on  the  west  coast  of  Schleswig,  is  a  little 
town  situated  on  the  railway  to  Tonning,  from  which 
part  a  large  quantity  of  cattle,  butter,  and  field 
produce  is  exported  to  England.  Husum  is  the 
capital    of   the    North    Frisian   islands.     Here    the 


278     THE  NOETH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

people  come  to  buy  and  sell ;  and  steamers  start 
daily  on  their  round  of  the  islands.  Looked  at  from 
a  distance,  when  the  tide  is  up,  the  Halligen — as  the 
islands  are  called — look  like  a  number  of  great  hulls 
afloat  upon  the  sea.  It  is  only  when  you  are  near 
them,  that  you  see  they  are  dotted  over  with  cattle 
■ — the  herds  of  the  Halligs. 

I  went  northward  to  a  little  cluster  of  houses 
called  Hattstedt,  to  see  the  country  near  Husum. 
The  farmhouses  were  scattered  all  about  over  the 
face  of  the  land.  Each  farmstead  had  everything 
under  one  high  thatched  roof — house,  barn,  and 
crops.  They  looked  roomy,  large,  clean,  and  com- 
fortable. Every  foot  of  ground  in  the  country  was 
tilled.  Each  man  seems  to  have  enclosed  his  piece 
of  land,  built  his  house  upon  it,  made  it  his  ton  or 
enclosure,  and  constituted  it  his  ham  or  home ;  and 
there  his  house  became  as  his  castle.  These  people 
were  all  freeholders,  tilling  their  own  land.  The 
whole  country  seemed  full  of  well-being  and  well- 
doing. The  people  are  large  and  fair — warmly  clad, 
well  shod,  and  comfortable  looking ;  and  their  houses 
looked  the  picture  of  cleanli  ness. 

From  Hattstedt  church,  which  stands  on  high 
ground,  you  see  the  same  high  thatch-roofed  farm- 
steadings,  spreading  far  away  to  the  North,  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach.  The  whole  country  is  covered 
with  them.  How  different  from  France,  where  the 
country  people  cluster  together  in  villages,  doubtless 
for  the  sake  of  society  ;  whereas  here  the  people  seem 
to  be  satisfied  to  live  apart,  each  with  his  wife,  and 
family,  and  home.  Indeed,  the  name  of  '*  Home- 
stead" is  as  familiar  to  the  English  as  to  the 
Frisian. 

I    went    round    the   churchyard,   and    found    the 


1871]  THE  FEISIANS  279 

names  on  the  monuments  were,  with  a  little  differ- 
ence in  spelling,  for  the  most  part  English.  There 
were  Mathiesens,  Thomsens,  Jansens,  Christiansens, 
Petersens,  Paulsens,  Hansens,  Carstens,  and  such 
like. 

I  sailed  by  the  little  steamer  Sylt  from  Husum  to 
Fohr,  one  of  the  North  Frisian  islands.  We  passed 
along-  a  narrow,  shallow,  and  intricate  channel, 
marked  off  by  branches  of  trees  stuck  into  the  mud. 
We  passed  many  little  Halligs — little  patches  of 
land,  some  the  size  of  only  a  small  farm,  banked 
round,  each  with  a  little  farmhouse  on  it.  These 
had  at  one  time  been  united  with  the  mainland ;  but 
heavy  storms  came  from  the  North  Sea,  washed 
away  the  intervening  soil,  and  left  only  these  little 
banked-up  patches  of  land. 

When  the  industrious  Frisians  along  the  coast 
found  their  farms  slipping  from  under  them,  being 
washed  away  by  the  incoming  ocean,  and  realised 
that  there  was  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey 
across  the  sea,  waiting  for  settlement  and  tillage, 
it  is  no  matter  for  wonder  that  they  should  have 
taken  to  their  boats  with  all  their  belongings — for 
they  were  all  sailors  as  well  as  farmers — and  made 
for  the  new  territory,  for  Britain,  for  the  country 
which  afterwards  became  Angle-land  or  England. 

There  they  would  not  have  to  fight  with  the  sea  for 
the  possession  of  the  land ;  there,  there  was  enough 
of  it,  and  to  spare.  In  fact,  there  were  then  the 
same  inducements  to  emigrate  to  the  east  coast  of 
England  as  there  now  are  for  the  over-populated 
nations  of  Germany,  Denmark,  Norway,  England, 
Scotland,  and  Ireland,  to  sail  over  the  much  wider 
Atlantic,  and  settle  upon  the  eastern  shores  of 
Canada  and  the  American  continent. 


280    THE  NOETH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

The  skipper  of  our  little  steamer,  Captain  Hock, 
tells  me  that  he  is  a  native  of  Flensborg-,  which  is  in 
Angfeln  (England?),  and  that  he  remembers  a  very 
old  dialect  used  in  his  district,  which  is  now  almost 
forgotten.  It  was  not  Frisian.  Indeed,  it  was  as 
unlike  Frisian  as  it  is  unlike  German.  His  idea  is 
that  it  must  have  been  what  is  now  known  as  Anglo- 
Saxon.  The  nearest  tongue  that  he  knows,  which 
resembled  it  in  sound  as  well  as  in  meaning,  is  broad 
Scotch.     This  was  very  curious. 

Most  of  the  people  living  in  the  Halligs  are 
Protestants  but  on  one  of  the  largest  islands — Nord- 
strand,  opposite  Husum  —  is  a  colony  of  Dutch 
Roman  Catholics,  who  still  get  their  priests  from 
Holland.  They  are  very  industrious,  hard-working 
people. 

I  observe  that  the  all-pervading  language  con- 
nected with  the  use  of  the  steamboat  has  extended 
here — the  same  as  is  used  on  the  Rhine  and  the 
Nile;  and  that  ''ease  her,"  ''stop  her,"  "turn  a 
starn,"  are  the  captain's  orders  to  the  enginemen 
below. 

After  many  windings  through  the  shallows  of  the 
channel,  we  drew  up  at  the  pier  of  Wick,  in  the  little 
island  of  Fohr.  Wick  or  Wich — a  common  enough 
name  in  England  and  Scotland — was  in  old  times  a 
little  harbour,  where  the  whaling  ships,  setting  out 
from  the  North  Frisian  islands  towards  the  North 
Pole,  used  to  fit  and  repair. 

I  walked  out  into  the  country  to  see  the  land.  It 
presented  the  same  appearance  as  the  neighbourhood 
of  Husum.  There  were  the  same  high  thatched 
cottages,  independent  farm-steadings,  and  comfort- 
able looking  cottages.  I  observed  that  the  women 
were  handsome  and  well  grown,  almost  invariably 


1871]  FRISIAN   NAMES  281 

fair.  But  it  was  difficult  to  see  their  faces  ;  for  they 
wore  a  heavy  black  fall,  which  concealed  their  features. 
They  were  also  for  the  most  part  dressed  in  black ; 
and  those  going  to  market,  had  a  black  cloth  placed 
over  their  baskets.  I  was  told  that  these  w^omen  were 
the  wives  of  sailors,  and  that  while  their  husbands 
were  at  sea,  they  dressed  in  this  manner,  remained 
at  home,  and  looked  after  the  crops.  They  were 
very  substantially  dressed,  but  all  seemed  to  be  in 
mourning.  The  Frisian  married  women  look  very 
like  nuns. 

The  names  of  the  little  collections  of  houses 
through  which  I  passed,  indicated  that  Paganism  had 
existed  in  this  little  island  long  before  Christianity 
had  been  extended  hither.  Hence  there  was  Bol- 
dixum  or  Baldursheim  (after  the  old  god  Baldur), 
Wrixum  or  Freiasheim  (after  the  pagan  Freia,  the 
goddess  of  marriage),  Nieblum  or  Nebelheim  and 
Odersum  or  Hodersheim,  after  others  of  the  old 
heathen  gods. 

I  went  into  the  churchyard  of  Nieblum,  and 
there  found  many  of  the  old  English  names  on 
the  monuments.  There  was  Petersen,  Nicholsen, 
Cramers,  Boysen,  Jacob,  Hansen,  Johnsen,  Harrold. 

In  the  church  I  found  Mr  Magnussen,  the  artist, 
engaged  in  painting  a  picture  of  his  daughter,  in 
Frisian  dress,  with  the  entrance  to  the  church  as 
the  background.  He  had  painted  a  picture  for  the 
Crown  Prince  and  Princess  of  Germany,  of  the 
people  going  to  communion  in  the  same  church. 
This  is  now  in  the  prince's  house  at  Berlin. 
He  afterwards  painted  a  picture  of  the  Princess 
Louise's  marriage,  which  is  now  the  property  of  Her 
Majesty. 

Magnussen  is  a  native  of  Bredstedt,  and  himself  a 


282    THE  NORTH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

Frisian.  He  is  perhaps  prouder  of  that  than  of 
being  a  clever  artist.  He  is  at  present  engaged  in 
making  a  collection  of  the  carvings  done  by  the 
sailors  while  engaged  on  their  whaling  voyages.  He 
took  me  to  his  cottage  to  see  them.  Some  of  them 
are  very  ingenious  and  curious,  though  he  said  that 
some  of  the  finest  he  possessed  were  at  his  house  at 
Hamburg. 

While  absent  from  their  wives  and  sweethearts, 
the  sailors  did  not  forget  them,  but  took  with  them 
plenty  of  wood  to  carve;  and  on  their  return  they 
made  presents  to  their  beloved  ones — boxes,  tops  of 
writing  tables,  *'streik-bords"  (or  flat  narrow  boards 
for  stretching  cloth  on),  with  many  cleverly  carved 
figures  of  animals,  fruit,  and  flowers  upon  them.  I 
may  also  mention  that  all  round  the  island  there  are 
numerous  whale-ribs  to  be  seen  erected  over  the 
entrances  to  the  fields,  as  well  as  to  the  churchyards 
of  the  island. 

Since  the  war  with  Denmark,  the  North  Frisian 
islands  have  become  subject  to  Germany.  The 
Frisians  do  not  like  this.  Captain  Hock  told  me 
that  the  Danes  tried  to  make  Schleswig  and  Holstein 
Danish.  They  tried  for  twenty-four  years  and  failed  ; 
but  the  Germans,  he  added,  have  now  made  them 
Danish  in  two  years.  The  taxes  are  all  much  higher, 
and  already  the  people  long  to  be  again  under  Den- 
mark. What  they  dislike  most  is  the  compulsory 
military  service.  They  are  all  liable.  If  a  man  has 
six  sons  of  proper  age  and  height,  only  one  of  them 
is  exempted.  The  others  must  all  serve.  I  was  told 
of  three  fine  young  fellows,  who  all  died  of  disease 
before  Metz,  during  the  siege. 

**Free  as  Freise"  was  long  a  saying  amongst 
them.     They  are  so  no  longer.     They  do  not  fear  to 


1871]  SYLT  283 

be  sailors,  for  they  take  to  the  water  like  ducks.  But 
soldiering-  is  not  in  their  way.  Besides,  they  will  not 
be  forced.  The  only  chance  for  them  is  to  emigrate. 
Accordingly,  two  years  before  my  visit,  several 
hundreds  of  families  had  left  Fohr  for  the  United 
States  of  America  ;  and  many  more  are  arranging  to 
depart. 

I  left  Fohr  for  the  island  of  Sylt  or  Syld,  which 
lies  a  few  miles  to  the  north.  I  do  not  know  the 
origin  of  the  word.  It  may  be  from  the  old  word  Sild, 
still  preserved  in  Scotland,  and  derived  from  Den- 
mark, meaning  the  herring,  or  the  young  of  the 
herring;  or  it  may  be  from  the  ordinary  English 
word  silt,  derived  from  the  Scandinavian,  meaning  a 
deposit  of  sand  or  mud.  Anyhow,  the  island  is  silted 
up  all  round.  As  our  steamer  approached  it  at  a  late 
hour,  at  the  end  of  the  long  strip  of  land  on  the  east 
we  had  all  to  get  out  into  boats,  and  even  the  little 
boats  could  not  get  to  the  shore.  As  we  approached, 
one  boat  grounded  in  the  mud,  and  then  the  men, 
leaping  into  the  water,  set  their  broad  shoulders  to  it, 
and  heaved  it  onward.  As  they  approached  the  land, 
they  called  out,  "In  she  gangs,  men."  I  asked  a 
German  young  lady  who  was  on  board  what  they 
said.  She  said  she  "had  no  idea:  it  was  not  Ger- 
man." I  said  my  impression  was,  that  it  was  broad 
Scots. 

We  landed  at  the  Nosse  or  Ness  on  the  eastern 
part  of  the  island  near  Morsum.  Places  ending  in 
"ness"  are  known  all  round  the  Scotch  and  English 
coasts,  from  Strandburgh  Ness  in  the  Shetlands 
down  to  Shoebury  Ness  on  the  coast  of  Essex, 
and  Dungeness  on  the  coast  of  Kent.  The  end- 
ing of  ness  is  also  known  on  the  other  side  of  the 


284    THE  NOETH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

Channel,  at  Blanc  Nez  and  Grisnez  between 
Boulogne  and  Calais.  In  all  these  places  we  have 
indications  left  of  the  wanderings  of  the  northern 
seamen. 

As  I  had  made  no  arrangements  for  getting- 
onward  to  Westerland,  to  which  I  was  bound,  and 
as  there  were  no  means  of  communication  from  the 
place  at  which  I  had  landed,  I  was  indebted  to  these 
German  ladies  for  a  place  in  their  conveyance.  The 
night  was  at  first  very  dark ;  but  by  and  by  a  great 
conflagration  burst  out  in  the  east.  It  seemed  to  be 
a  fire;  it  proved  to  be  only  the  moon,  and  shining 
over  the  sea  outside  the  Ness !  We  drove,  by  the 
beautiful  moonlight,  through  the  bare,  treeless 
country  for  about  twelve  miles  to  the  village  of 
Westerland,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  enjoying  a 
sound  sleep  on  a  sofa.  Next  morning,  I  found  a 
clean  pleasant  lodging  for  a  few  days  in  the  house  of 
one  Frau  Brligmann. 

Julius  Rodenberg  has  written  a  little  work  entitled 
Stilleben  auf  Sylt,  It  is  indeed  a  very  still  life. 
There  is  not  a  sound  to  be  heard,  except  of  the 
waves  breaking  on  the  beach.  There  are  very  few 
carriages  about,  and  the  sound  of  their  wheels  is 
deadened  by  the  sand.  One  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
morning  is  to  mount  the  sand  dunes  on  the  western 
part  of  the  island,  and  look  over  the  silent  sea.  Not 
a  sail  is  to  be  seen,  for  this  part  of  the  coast  is  out 
of  the  track  of  vessels,  except  occasionally  a  steamer 
running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Skagerrack  to 
Hamburg.  And  yet  Sylt  is  in  the  exact  latitude  of 
Yorkshire.  Right  across  the  sea  lies  England  with 
its  fertile  fields.  It  was  always  easy  to  reach  that 
country  by  sea,  for  with  a  sailor  people,  the  sea 
always  offers  an  easy  road. 


1871]    THE  LANGUAGE   OF   SAILORS     285 

A  little  north  of  Westerland,  on  the  western  coast, 
rigfht  opposite  England,  is  an  opening  through  the 
Red  Cliff  called  Risgap,  near  Riesenloch.  It  is  quite 
close  to  Wenningfsted.  In  front  of  it,  further  out  to 
sea,  used  to  be  Frisian  Haven  and  Old  Wenning- 
sted.  Both  places  are  still  marked  upon  the  old 
maps.  But  Old  Wenningsted  and  Frisian  Haven 
have  been  washed  away  by  the  furious  North  Sea. 
Tradition,  however,  says  that  It  was  through  Risgap 
that  the  ancient  Frisians  passed  down  to  the  sea 
coast  before  embarking  for  the  land  on  the  other 
side  of  the  German  Ocean.  This  was  the  point  of 
departure  for  Frisian  emigrants  to  England,  just  as 
Liverpool  now  is  for  English  emigrants  to  America. 
The  sea  coast  Is  now,  however,  entirely  silent ; 
and  only  the  blackened  skeletons  of  ships'  ribs  show 
that  navigation  Is  practised  In  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

But  the  people  still  continue  sailors  as  before. 
The  first  two  men  I  spoke  to  in  Sylt — my  landlord 
and  his  son-in-law — answered  me  In  English.  ''  How 
is  it  you  speak  English  so  well?"  I  asked.  **Oh!" 
said  the  landlord,  *'we  are  all  sailors  here."  As 
if  English  was  the  proper  language  of  sailors  !  And 
so  it  is.  English  ships,  English  steam  engines, 
English  screw  propellers,  English  engineers,  and 
English  commerce  are  found  all  over  the  world. 
"Ships,  colonies,  and  commerce"  has  long  been  our 
motto  ;  and  wherever  trade  is  done,  there  the  English 
language  must  be  spoken. 

The  Frisian  language  has  a  closer  resemblance 
to  the  English  than  to  the  German.  I  experimented 
a  little  upon  the  population.  To  a  boy  I  said  one 
morning,  **Schone  zelt!"  He  shook  his  head.  I 
then  said  "Good  weather."     He  understood  me  at 


286    THE  NORTH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

once.  '*Ta!  ta!"  I  had  some  conversation  with  a 
matron  coming  from  Finnum,  and  had  no  difficulty 
in  making-  myself  understood.  She  said  I  must  be 
the  Englishman  that  had  come  into  Sylt.  Frau 
Briigmann,  my  landlady,  must  have  told  of  my 
whereabouts.  Indeed,  the  news  of  my  arrival  had 
spread  all  over  the  place.  When  I  went  across  to 
Keitum  to  see  the  museum  of  Christian  Hansen, 
and  to  buy  some  of  his  books — for  he  is  the  soli- 
tary author  of  the  island — he  told  me  that  he  had 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  Englishman  *'by  Briig- 
mann." 

The  Frisians  are  not  a  little  proud  of  their 
relationship  with  the  English.  They  resemble  each 
other  very  much.  The  Frisians  are  for  the  most 
part  fair  or  light  brown,  blue-eyed  and  soft-voiced ; 
they  have  oval  faces,  are  well  formed  in  figure,  and 
are  generally  taller  than  the  people  on  the  mainland. 
The  Frisian  faces  are  so  like  the  English,  that  Mr 
Christian  Hansen  has  a  portrait  of  our  Charles 
James  Fox,  which  he  has  adopted  as  the  true 
portraiture  of  Mr  Decker,  the  Strand  Inspector  at 
Munkmarsch.  He  says  it  is  an  absolutely  faithful 
likeness.  Mr  Hansen  told  me  that  many  of  our 
English  words  resemble  the  Frisian  far  more  than 
they  do  the  German.  Woman  (fliman),  wife  (weib), 
and  boy  (bliy)  are  still  preserved  in  Frisian. 
** Thunder"  and  ''light"  are  Frisian,  not  "donner" 
and  "blitzen"  as  in  German.  "  Englishmann"  not 
"Englander";  "work,"  not  "arbeiten."  "House- 
wife" and  "homestead"  are  Frisian.  The  Scotch 
have  preserved  many  of  the  Frisian  verbs.  They 
still  "gang  to  bed,"  and  go  to  "the  Kirk."  The 
Scotch  proverbs  have  also  a  great  resemblance  to 
the  Frisian. 


1871]  ANCIENT   MONUMENTS  287 

Mr  Hansen  recommended  me  to  go  to  Wennlng- 
stedt  to  see  a  very  remarkable  neolithic  barrow  there. 
I  passed  over  a  piece  of  ground  containing  several 
tumuli.  One  of  them  had  been  dug  open,  and  was 
found  so  full  of  small  chips  that  it  might  have  been 
an  ancient  small  arms  manufactory.  Mr  Hansen 
had  got  many  of  his  celts,  arrowheads,  and  ancient 
flint  weapons  from  this  place.  I  brought  several  of 
the  arrowheads  away  with  me. 

The  ancient  barrow  at  Wenningstedt  is  very 
curious.  I  descended  by  a  ladder  into  a  tomb, 
formed  by  gigantic  stones,  just  like  the  Kits  Coty 
chamber  in  Kent.  There  Is  a  long  open  entrance 
to  the  level  of  the  ground,  as  In  similar  monuments 
in  the  west  of  Europe.  It  is  what  Is  known  as  a 
chambered  tomb.  I  asked  the  girl  who  showed  it 
me  what  she  called  the  place,  to  which  she  replied, 
"An  under  grave."  It  is  still  covered  by  its  original 
mound  of  earth. 

Sylt  contains  several  ancient  monuments.  There 
is  the  Burg — an  old  fortified  camp,  surrounded  by 
a  mound  of  earth,  and  a  deep  moat  outside.  A 
footway  runs  Inside  the  top  of  the  embankment. 
Not  far  off  Is  Tinnum,  or  Thingum,  the  place  where, 
at  some  former  time,  the  Thing  or  Parliament  of  the 
place  met,  and  legislated.  The  ''Thing"  still 
survives  In  Norway ;  and  the  name  Is  preserved  at 
Tain  and  Dingwall  in  Scotland,  at  Dingwall  in 
Devonshire,  and  at  Tynwald  Hill  in  the  Isle  of 
Man. 

After  a  few  days'  loafing  about  the  sandhills  near 
Westerland,  and  walking  by  the  sands  of  the  sea- 
shore, I  prepared  to  leave  my  good  friends  the 
Briigmanns.  I  got  up  early  one  morning,  and 
started   by  six  for   Munkmarsch.     Frau  Briigmann 


288    THE  NOETH  FEISIAN  ISLANDS 

insisted  on  getting;  up  and  preparing-  breakfast  for 
me  before  setting-  out ;  and  so  everything  was  ready, 
and  set  before  me,  trig,  and  clean,  and  neat.  I  think 
that  one  of  the  best  legacies  the  English,  as  well  as 
the  Dutch,  have  inherited  from  their  Frisian 
ancestors,  is  their  healthful  cleanliness.  That  is 
a  great  virtue. 

I  reached  the  steam  ferry  at  Munkmarsch  in  good 
time,  and  was  taken  across  the  shallow  waters  to 
Hoyer  on  the  mainland.  We  joined  the  railway  at 
Tondern,  and  went  on  to  Flensborg.  My  object  in 
reaching  this  town  was  to  inspect  the  remains  of  a 
very  old  warship,  which  had  been  dug  up  from 
Nydam  Bog  a  few  years  before.  I  had  found  it 
referred  to  in  Victor  Hugo's  Travailleurs  de  la  Mer. 
The  waiters  at  the  Stadt  Hamburg,  where  I  put  up, 
knew  nothing  of  it.  I  asked  for  the  Hotel  de  Ville. 
There  was  no  such  place.  **The  Rathhuis?"  No; 
but  there  was  the  Police  Office.  I  went  thither,  and 
after  many  inquiries,  I  was  referred  to  a  yard  in  the 
main  street  (No.  582  Kreisgericht),  where  I  found 
the  famous  old  warship  in  a  loft,  almost  touching  the 
roof. 

The  warship  is,  after  all,  only  a  very  long  open  boat ; 
but  it  must  have  been  capable  of  carrying  about  a 
hundred  men.  Judged  by  the  remains  of  it  found,  this 
warship  must  be  about  fourteen  hundred  years  old. 
It  is  a  splendid  model  of  a  boat;  about  79  feet 
long,  by  about  15  feet  at  the  widest  part,  with 
nineteen  seats  for  the  rowers.  The  vessel  must 
have  breasted  the  seas  like  a  bird.  It  was  doubt- 
less a  warship,  for  the  remnants  of  bows  and  arrows 
were  found  in  it ;  as  well  as  ashen  shafts  for  spear 
heads.  I  afterwards  found  that  this  warship  and 
its  contents  had  been  completely  described  in  a  work 


1871]  FLENSBORG  289 

published  in   England ;   so   that  I   need  not  further 
describe  it.* 

I  went  by  steamer  down  the  Flensborg"  Fjord  to 
see  the  neighbourhood.  We  skirted  the  northern 
district  of  Angeln.  The  people,  as  well  as  the 
country  and  the  houses,  are  very  like  those  we  see 
in  England.  The  houses  are  red  tiled  and  white- 
washed ;  the  cottages  are  thatched,  but  tidy  look- 
ing ;  the  fields  are  separated  by  hedges,  with 
occasional  clumps  of  trees,  just  as  we  see  at  home. 
The  fields  are  green  and  smiling.  The  number  of 
sailing  boats  in  the  fjord  resembled  the  Thames  on 
a  sunny  day.  Possibly  the  men  who  rowed  this 
Flensborg  warship,  some  fourteen  hundred  years  ago, 
may  have  been  the  ancestors  of  Englishmen,  who 
now  navigate  the  world. 

From  Flensborg  I  went  northward  by  rail  to 
Fredericia,  crossed  the  Little  Belt;  then  by  rail  to 
F linen ;  then  by  the  Great  Belt  to  Middelfart ;  and 
after  a  few  hours  of  railway  travelling,  I  found  myself 
in  Copenhagen  at  10.30  p.m.  I  found  the  museums 
of  this  city  very  wonderful ;  but  they  are  so  well 
described  in  '*  Murray"  that  I  need  not  detail  my 
visit.  I  next  went  by  steamer  up  the  Cattegat  to 
Gothenborg,  for  three  days  steaming  across  Lakes 
Wener  and  Wetter  to  the  city  of  Stockholm. 

On  board  the  boat,  I  found  several  persons  whom 
I  knew.  As  the  company  was  associated  together 
for  about  three  days,  we  got  to  know  each  other  a 
little  by  conversation.  There  were  two  Swedish 
ladies  on  board,  and  I  remarked  to  one  of  them,  that 
the  more  I  knew  of  the  world,  the  smaller  I  found  it 

*  Denmark  in  the  Early  Iron  Age.  By  Conrad  Englehart,  late 
Director  of  the  Museum  of  Northern  Antiquities  at  Flensborg. 
London  :   Williams  and  Norgate. 

•  T 


290     THE  NORTH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

to  be ;  what  Alexander  von  Humboldt  had  said  of 
it,  ''  El  mondo  es  poco  " — the  world  is  a  little  place — 
was  very  true. 

"Oh,  no!"  said  the  lady,  "the  world  is  a  very 
big"  place.     I  know  next  to  nothing-  of  it !  " 

"But  I  should  not  wonder,"  I  rejoined,  "that 
although  we  do  not  know  each  other,  we  may  find 
some  mutual  friend  whom  we  both  know." 

"No!"  she  answered  resolutely,  "that  is  impos- 
sible." 

"Very  well,"  I  said,  "let  us  try:  have  you  ever 
been  out  of  Sweden  ? " 

"  Oh  yes,  I  have  once  been  in  London." 

"  Then  you  know  some  people  there." 

"  I  only  know  two  persons :  it  is  such  a  very  big 
place." 

"  Who  are  the  two  persons  ? " 

"  You  cannot  know  them ! " 

"  Well ;  tell  me  their  names." 

"One  is  called  Burrows." 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "I  know  him:  he  is  a  little 
fat  man,  with  a  brown  wig  —  a  stock  and  share 
broker." 

"It  is  perfectly  true  ;  I  stayed  in  his  house  while 
in  London ! " 

"  And  who  is  the  other  ?  " 

"Oh,  you  cannot  know  him." 

"What  is  his  name?" 

"Forbes." 

"Yes,  I  know  him — a  dapper,  bright,  clever, 
curly-haired  man — manager  of  the  London,  Chatham, 
and  Dover  Railway !  " 

"  I  am  perfectly  surprised,"  said  the  lady. 

"You  observe,"  said  I,  "that  after  all  the  world  is 
a  very  little  place.     But  now  that  you  have  mentioned 


1871]  -HOW  SMALL  THE  WORLD  IS!"  291 

two  persons,  I  will  mention  another.  Do  you  know 
Tester  ? " 

She  looked  almost  frightened,  as  if  she  had  thought 

me  the .     *'Ah!"  she  ejaculated,    ''that  was 

a  frightful  story.     What  has  become  of  him  ? " 

The  reason  of  my  happening  to  know^  these  people 
was  very  simple.  The  lady  in  question  was  wife  of 
the  manager  of  the  Royal  Swedish  Railway.  Burrows 
had  been  employed  in  London  to  get  the  shares  of 
that  Company  into  the  market ;  and  being  also  a 
shareholder  in  the  South-Eastern  Railway,  he  used 
to  come  and  speak  at  our  meetings.  Mr  Forbes  had 
been  a  railway  manager  on  the  Continent,  was  well 
known  to  the  lady's  husband,  and  I  had  often  met 
him  in  connection  with  our  railway  competition. 
Tester,  it  may  be  remembered,  was  the  person  in  our 
passenger  department,  who  entered  into  alliance  with 
Agar  and  Pearse,  to  rob  us  of  the  gold  which  we 
carried  for  the  London  bullionists  ;  and  who  went  to 
Sweden  (with  my  certificate  of  character  in  his 
pocket)  to  take  charge  of  the  railway  of  which  the 
lady's  husband  was  now  manager.  Had  a  fourth 
name  been  mentioned,  most  probably  I  should  have 
been  baffled. 

But  another  illustration  of  the  world  being  a  very 
little  place,  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  same  year. 
My  youngest  son  was  on  his  voyage  from  Auckland 
in  New  Zealand,  to  Honolulu  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  when  a  fellow  passenger,  observing  the  name 
on  his  portmanteau,  said,  "A  remarkable  name! 
Have  you  any  friends  in  Scotland?" 

"Yes!" 

"  Have  you  any  in  Paisley  ? " 

"Yes,  an  uncle — James  Smiles." 

"  Strange ! "  said  the  gentleman,  "he  is  married  to 


292     THE  NOETH  FRISIAN  ISLANDS 

my  sister.     And  I  am  introducing  myself  to  you  in 
the  middle  of  the  Pacific  ocean !  " 

My  three  days'  voyage  ended  at  Stockholm  ;  and 
after  a  visit  to  ancient  and  modern  Upsala,  a  railway 
journey  across  Sweden  and  Norway  to  Christiania, 
and  a  voyage  to  Hull  over  the  seas  so  often  crossed 
by  the  Norse  Vikings  long  ages  ago,  I  reached  my 
home  at  Blackheath  after  a  very  delightful  holiday 
trip. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

CHA/^ACTEJ?— ILLNESS— A  LONG  REST 

Before  making  my  holiday  journey  through  the 
North  Frisian  islands,  I  left  with  the  printer  the 
manuscript  of  my  little  book  on  Character.  I  had 
written  it  out  many  years  before,  and  stored  it  away 
in  my  literary  cupboard.  It  was,  like  my  other  books, 
the  result  of  my  evenings'  leisure.  I  there  endeavoured 
to  illustrate  the  power  and  efficiency  of  individual 
character.  My  object  was  to  impress  the  minds  of 
the  rising  generation  with  examples  of  noble 
behaviour,  taken  from  the  lives  of  the  best  men  and 
women  who  had  ever  lived. 

I  also  left  with  the  printer  the  sheets  of  another 
book — the  account  of  my  youngest  son's  Voyage 
Round  the  World,  which  I  edited.  He  had  been 
sent  out  to  Australia  a  few  years  before,  in  search  of 
health,  which  had  been  restored ;  and  I  thought  that 
The  Boys  Voyage  might  be  useful  as  well  as  interest- 
ing to  other  young  people.  The  sheets  of  both  books 
were  ready  for  correction  on  my  return  home. 

Both  books  were  very  well  received  on  their 
publication  in  the  following  November  ( 1 87 1 ).  With 
respect  to  the  last-mentioned  volume,  the  Saturday 
Review  observed:  "We  should  be  curious  to  learn 
how  Mr  Smiles  has  taught  his  son  to  write  his  own 


294        CHARACTER-ILLNESS,  ETC. 

language.  He  cannot,  we  are  sure,  have  sent  him  to 
school,  for  that  is  the  last  place  where  a  boy  learns 
English.  If,  however,  any  school  can  claim  the 
author  of  A  Boys  Voyag'e  Round  the  World,  it  has 
at  least  as  good  reason  for  pride  as  if  it  had  gained 
the  Balliol  scholarship." 

There  was,  doubtless,  some  mixture  of  joke  in  this 
praise.  But  the  fact  is,  that  the  boy  first  learnt  his 
English  at  a  girls'  school.  He  was  then  sent  to 
St  Paul's  School,  London ;  but  he  made  so  little 
progress  there,  that  he  was  removed  to  La  Chatelaine, 
near  Geneva,  and  placed  under  the  charge  of  Misses 
Thudicum  and  Lotheissen,  where  he  learnt  French 
and  German,  and  acquired  a  considerable  amount  of 
scholastic  knowledge.  But  he  was  never  "taught" 
to  write  English.  He  must  have  acquired  the 
practice  by  reading,  writing,  and  possibly  by  his 
acquaintance  with  other  languages  besides  his  own. 

Both  these  volumes  were  re-published  in  the 
United  States,  where  they  had  as  large  a  circulation 
as  in  Britain.  Both  were  translated  into  French  and 
German.  Character  was  perhaps  more  appreciated 
on  the  Continent  than  at  home.  It  was  translated 
into  the  Italian  by  Rotondi,  and  had  a  great  sale  in 
Italy.  M.  de  Gubernatis  did  me  the  honour  to  say 
that  "thanks  to  Mr  Smiles,  our  people  now  read 
something  else  than  bad  novels ;  and  this  seems  to 
me  an  immense  improvement."  Shortly  after  the 
publication  of  the  Italian  translation,  I  was  appointed 
an  "  Honorary  President "  of  the  Alessandro  Manzoni 
Literary  Institution  in  Monteleone,  Calabria — a 
place  that  I  have  not  yet  seen.  Character  also  gave 
its  name  to  a  new  journal  published  at  Mantua, 
entitled  //  Carattere,  of  which  the  proprietors  sent 
me  the  early  numbers,  requesting  a  communication. 


1871]  TRANSLATIONS  295 

to  which  I  acceded ;  and  a  society  for  Mutual  Help 
sprang  out  of  the  existence  of  this  new  publication. 

Of  course  the  Dutch  had  their  translations ;  they 
were  generally  the  first  to  introduce  my  works 
to  foreign  readers.  M.  Buys  translated  the  title  of 
Character  into  Ken  ti  Zelven,  as  he  had  translated 
Self-Help  into  Help  u  Zelven.  Professor  Mourek 
translated  it  in  Czech,  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Bohemia.  The  Prague  reviewer,  in  the  Komensky, 
spoke  of  it  as  "a  golden  book — a  sort  of  practical 
bible."  M.  Mirko  Turic,  of  Zengg,  was  very  enthusi- 
astic. He  said  Character  was  still  more  valuable 
than  Self-Help,  and  was  a  real  treasure  for  anyone, 
but  particularly  for  the  young.  ''These  great  and 
beautiful  truths,"  he  said,  "these  sublime  and  noble 
thoughts,  which  I  find  on  every  page  of  your  Character, 
have  so  transported  me,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from 
asking  the  privilege  of  translating  your  beautiful 
work  into  my  mother  tongue,  the  Croatian  language." 
Of  course,  I  at  once  gave  my  assent. 

Translations  were  also  made  into  the  Magyar 
language  at  Pesth,  for  the  Hungarians ;  into  the 
Danish  and  the  Russian  ;  and  into  the  Gujarati  for 
the  people  of  Bomba3^  My  friend,  Mr  Henty, 
banker  of  Chichester,  told  me  that  he  had  seen 
a  translation  of  my  book  in  a  shop  window  at 
Stockholm,  and  went  in  and  purchased  a  copy. 
Translations  may  have  been  made  In  other  languages, 
of  which  I  knew  nothing.  I  need  not  recite  the 
encouragements  I  have  received  from  young  men 
at  Moscow,  Boston  (U.S.),  Belfast,  India,  and 
elsewhere — setting  forth  what  good  my  books  have 
done,  and  requesting  me  to  continue  my  instruc- 
tion. 

One  young  lady,  who  has  done  excellent  work  as 


296        CHARACTER— ILLNESS,  ETC. 

a  nurse,  and  as  an  org-aniser  of  nursing  establish- 
ments, said,  *'  Perhaps,  without  offence,  I  may  say  that 
Character  has  been  of  more  good  to  me  than  any 
sermon  I  have  heard  for  a  long-  day."  And  a  young- 
man  at  Belfast,  whom  I  do  not  know  otherwise  than 
by  his  letter,  has  said  that  "this  little  book  has  done 
me  more  g"ood,  morally  and  intellectually,  than  all  the 
books  I  have  read,  and  all  the  sermons  I  have  heard, 
for  many  years."  Indeed,  I  was  pleased  to  learn  that 
a  rector  at  Maiden  had  read  a  passag-e  from  the  work 
to  his  cong-regfation  on  the  third  Sunday  in  Lent, 
being  appropriate  to  the  subject  of  his  sermon.  "  I 
g-o  heart  and  soul  with  you,"  he  wrote  to  me,  "in 
what  you  say  about  a  woman's  influence  over  her 
children ;  for  I  daily  feel  that,  under  God,  my  wife 
has  been  the  maker  of  all  her  children's  character, 
and  it  is  such  a  comfort  to  myself  to  see  how  they  all 
look  up  to  her." 

I  will  only  quote  one  letter  from  my  excellent 
friend,  Sir  Arthur  Helps,  to  whom  I  sent  an  early 
copy : — 

"30//^  November  1871. 

"  My  dear  Smiles, — 

"Your  book.  Sir,  upon  Character  is  a 
pestilently  dangerous  work  to  send  to  an  official  man. 
What  happens }  He  takes  it  up,  just  to  look  at  it, 
and  (confound  the  book !)  he  cannot  help  going  on 
reading  it,  to  the  detrirnent  of  his  official  work.  No 
works,  except  those  which  are  very  dull,  ought  to  be 
sent  to  official  people. 

"  But,  seriously  speaking,  the  book  is  a  most 
interesting  one  ;  and  I  congratulate  you  upon  having 
done  your  work  so  well. — Yours  very  sincerely, 

"Arthur  Helps." 

And  now  I  have  to  relate  how  it  was  that  my 
work  was  brought,  for  a  time,  suddenly  to  an  end. 
I  was  habitually  careless  of  my  health.     I   did   not 


1871]  ILLNESS  297 

take  my  meals  regularly.  I  had  not  much  of  an 
appetite,  and  often  went  without  a  dinner.  I  was 
satisfied  with  a  lunch  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  and 
then,  when  I  should  have  gone  home,  and  had  a 
dinner  and  rest,  I  had  a  few  cups  of  tea  before  sitting- 
down  to  work  for  the  evening,  and  I  often  continued 
until  late  at  night. 

The  consequence  of  this  style  of  living  was,  that 
my  physical  power  was  getting  wasted  faster  than 
my  enfeebled  digestion  could  repair  it.  I  wanted  the 
refreshment  of  regular  food,  and  the  still  greater 
refreshment  of  regular  rest.  The  brain  weakens 
under  protracted  labour,  especially  at  night.  After 
writing  for  some  hours,  my  brain  got  excited,  and 
refused  to  lay  aside  its  capacity  for  thinking.  I 
ceased  to  sleep,  and  in  sleep  only  does  the  brain  get 
perfect  rest.  I  knew  that  something  must  be  going 
wrong;  for  I  was  subject  to  palpitations,  and  had 
frequent  flushings  of  the  face,  showing  a  determina- 
tion of  blood  to  the  head. 

I  was  again  burning  the  candle  at  both  ends,  and 
trying  to  get  more  than  sixteen  ounces  out  of  the 
pound.  Why  did  not  I  stop?  Poor,  weak,  unre- 
flecting human  nature.  ''We  know  the  right,  and 
yet  the  wrong  pursue. "  I  was  old  enough — for  I  was 
approaching  sixty — and  ought  to  have  been  wise 
enough,  to  know  better  ;  and  yet  I  went  on  with  my 
evening's  literary  labour.  Montaigne  says,  in  his 
Essays,  that  ''pleasure,  to  deceive  us,  marches  before 
and  conceals  her  train.  Books  are  pleasant,  but  if 
by  being  over-studious  we  impair  our  health,  and 
spoil  our  good  humour,  two  of  the  best  pieces  we 
have,  let  us  give  it  over  ;  for  I,  for  my  part,  am  one  of 
those  who  think  that  no  fruit  derived  from  them  can 
recompense  so  great  a  loss." 


298        CHARACTER— llA.^"^^^,  ETC. 

Nature,  or  rather  the  laws  of  health,  came  to  my 
aid ;  though  not  without  subjecting-  me  to  a  great  peril. 
One  evening,  after  Mr  Murray's  annual  sale,  when  the 
whole  of  the  first  edition  of  Character  had  been  sub- 
scribed for,  I  proceeded  to  make  the  necessary  cor- 
rections for  another  edition.  Correcting  printed 
sheets  is  always  more  fatiguing  than  writing  them  in 
manuscript.  It  requires  closer  attention  to  minute 
points,  such  as  commas,  semicolons,  and  full  stops ; 
while  there  is  not  the  interest  of  writing  out  fresh 
thoughts.  To2  alleviate  the  fatigue,  I  occasionally 
took  a  turn  at  writing  out  a  brief  account  of  my 
recent  visit  to  the  Frisian  Islands.  I  intended  this 
most  probably  for  Good  Words,  but  I  never  had  the 
courage  to  read  over  the  paper,  after  the  summary 
manner  in  which  it  was  interrupted. 

I  felt  a  curious  humming  in  my  head,  and  a  ting- 
ling at  the  points  of  my  fingers.  I  stopped  work, 
walked  about  the  room,  felt  better,  and  then  sat 
down  again.  I  was  proceeding  with  the  corrections, 
when  again  the  curious  sensations  returned.  I  turned 
down  the  gas,  resolved  to  cease  working  for  the 
night.  On  trying  to  turn  the  handle  of  the  door 
with  my  right  hand,  I  found  that  it  was  powerless. 
I  felt  it  with  the  left  hand :  it  was  like  ice,  and  hung 
down  like  a  lump  of  lead.  I  turned  the  handle  with 
my  left  hand,  and  went  downstairs.  It  was  the 
same  below  :  my  right  hand  continued  powerless. 

I  entered  the  room,  where  only  my  mother-in-law 
was  present — for  the  rest  of  the  family  had  gone  to  a 
Penny  Reading  at  the  schools  connected  with  St 
Stephen's  Church.  I  must  have  made  some  ejacula- 
tion, for  the  old  lady  looked  round,  and  saw  that 
something  was  the  matter  with  me.  She  rang  for 
the  servants,  and  sent  for  the  doctor.     Everything 


1871]  ILLNESS  299 

passed  away  from  my  recollection ;  and  the  next 
sensation  I  had  was  that  of  being-  carried  from  the 
chair  which  I  had  occupied,  towards  the  sofa.  In 
short,  I  had  experienced  a  sharp  attack  of  paralysis. 

Now  I  had  the  rest  which  I  needed.  Indeed,  I 
was  perfectly  helpless.  I  could  scarcely  move.  I 
could  not  speak.  My  muscular  power  gfradually 
returned,  but  it  was  days  before  I  recovered  my 
speech,  and  still  long-er  before  I  could  write  my  name. 
I  found  that  I  had  lost  the  recollection  of  all  proper 
names,  and  in  a  gfreat  measure  lost  the  recollection  of 
words.  When  I  began  to  speak,  I  often  used  the 
wrong"  word.  I  had  to  recommence  my  knowledge  of 
the  English  language.  In  fact,  I  suffered  from 
aphasia. 

My  judgment,  so  far  as  it  went,  was  not  impaired, 
but  my  power  of  expressing  it  in  words  had  left  me. 
I  could  not  read,  but  my  wife  read  to  me.  I  remember 
that  some  articles,  then  appearing  in  Blackwood,  were 
read,  respecting  the  education  of  French  boys  and 
girls.  The  boys  were  said  to  be  prigs,  and  the  girls 
to  be  almost  perfect.  My  judgment  said  to  me 
that  this  could  not  be  possible — both  being  children 
of  the  same  parents.  But  as  the  article  set  me  a- 
thinking,  and  excited  a  pain  in  my  head,  I  had  to 
request  a  cessation  of  the  reading  for  that  day. 

I  meditated  in  my  bed,  and  now  determined  to 
*'pull  up."  If  I  recovered,  I  might  yet  spend  a  few 
more  years  on  earth,  though  I  feared  that  my  work- 
ing faculties  were  gone.  But  I  knew  that  my  only 
chance  was  long  and  perfect  rest.  I  was  urged  by 
Mr  Gilpin  to  continue  in  my  employment,  which 
secured  a  handsome  income;  but  I  knew  that  I 
could  not  be  satisfied  without  doing  some  work  for 
it,  and  that  this  might  bring  back  a  return  of  the 


300        CHARACTER— ILLNESS,  ETC. 

disease.  This  consideration  determined  me,  and  I 
sent  in  my  resignation.  I  was  now  free,  and  an  idle 
man! 

What  was  I  to  do?  I  had  been  always  accus- 
tomed to  industrious  habits,  and  could  not  be 
entirely  idle.  I  took  exercise,  and  began  to  use  my 
limbs  briskly.  I  read  a  little,  gradually  recovered 
my  use  of  the  language,  and  endeavoured  to  spend 
most  of  my  time  in  the  open  air.  When  I  was 
able  to  travel,  I  went  over  to  Dublin,  to  see  my 
youngest  son,  who  was  in  business  there.  Then  I 
went  to  see  my  eldest  son,  who  was  established  in 
Belfast.  From  Ireland,  I  went  to  Dunoon  on  the 
Clyde,  where  I  remained  a  few  months.  I  gradually 
recovered  my  strength ;  gained  several  stone  in 
weight ;  and  attended  to  my  digestion.  I  left  my 
brain  to  lie  fallow. 

In  1873,  I  took  a  student's  ticket  at  the  South 
Kensington  Museum,  and  attended  at  Bethnal  Green 
for  the  purpose  of  copying  in  water-colours  many  of 
Sir  Richard  Wallace's  paintings  in  oil.  I  refurbished 
up  an  old  art,  and  derived  a  great  deal  of  pleasure 
as  well  as  much  rest,  from  copying  the  works  of 
Guardi,  Bonnington,  Descamps,  Rousseau,  and 
others.  These  bits  of  my  leisure  handiwork  now 
ornament  the  walls  of  my  sons  and  daughters.  They 
are  not  of  much  importance,  but  the  execution  of 
them  was  a  great  relief  to  me.  They  saved  me  from 
thinking  or  worrying;  and  in  that  way  helped  the 
restoration  of  my  health. 

I  went  on  cultivating  idleness,  and  spent  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  autumn  of  this  year  on  the 
wild  western  coast  of  South  Donegal,  in  Ireland. 
There  I  saw  magnificent  scenery,  and  imbibed  abun- 
dant ozone.     Every  day  saw  me  stronger  and  better 


1874]         MY  DAUGHTEE'S  DEATH  301 

able  for  work.  But  I  had  not  yet  made  up  my  mind 
again  to  follow  any  settled  occupation.  Indeed,  Sir 
Edward  Watkin  made  me  a  handsome  proposal ; 
but  I  did  not  see  my  way  to  accept  it ;  and,  on  the 
whole,  I  think  I  was  wise  eventually  to  refuse  it. 

At  the  end  of  1874  (loth  November),  I  experi- 
enced a  severe  sorrow  in  the  death  of  my  dear 
daughter  Edith.  She  was  a  good,  affectionate 
daughter,   and  a  favourite  with  everybody. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THRIFT— THE  SCOTCH  NATURALIST— GEORGE 
MOORE,  ETC. 

In  consequence  of  this  sad  breach  in  our  family,  my 
wife  and  I  resolved  to  leave  Blackheath.  She  could 
not  bear  to  remain  in  a  place  associated  with  so  much 
sorrow.  There  Avas  nothing-  to  attach  me  to  Black- 
heath,  more  than  to  any  other  place.  So  we  gave  up 
our  house,  and  warehoused  our  furniture.  At  first 
we  thought  of  removing  to  Belfast,  where  three  of 
our  children  were  then  settled.  But  after  considera- 
tion we  resolved  to  refurnish  in  Kensington,  at  the 
west  end  of  London.  On  the  whole  it  was  more 
convenient,  both  for  ourselves  and  our  family.  Our 
children  were  now  all  married,  and  they  could  see  us 
there  occasionally  on  their  visits  to  town. 

In  the  meantime  my  writing  faculty  had  returned, 
and  I  was  contemplating  the  preparation  of  a  new 
book.  In  i860,  I  had  written  an  article  in  the 
Quarterly  Review  (No.  215),  on  the  subject  of 
'*  Workmen's   Earnings   and   Savings."*    This   was 

*  The  articles  I  published  in  the  Quarterly — all  written  before  my 
illness — were  these  :  "  Difficulties  of  Railway  Engineering"  (No.  205) ; 
"Iron  Bridges"  (207);  "James  Watt"  (208);  "Strikes"  (212); 
"Cotton-spinning  Machines  and  their  Inventors"  (213);  "Work- 
men's Earnings  and  Savings"  (215) ;  "The  Brunels"  (223) ;  "Work- 
men's Benefit  Societies"  (232) ;  "Iron  and  Steel"  (239);  "The  Great 

302 


1875]  THRIFT  303 

afterwards  published  in  a  cheap  form,  and  was  out  of 
print.  An  unknown  correspondent  at  Malvern 
brought  the  subject  under  my  notice,  by  informing 
me  that  it  had  been  through  the  recommendations 
contained  in  the  above  article  that  he  had  been 
enabled  to  initiate  many  working  people  in  the 
practice  of  "Thrift."  I  will  venture  to  quote  part  of 
the  gentleman's  letter  : — 

*' Many  years  since,  when  recovering  from  a 
protracted  illness,  I  incurred  a  debt  of  gratitude  to 
you  for  the  pleasure  and  instruction  I  had  derived 
from  your  writings,  and  only  the  other  day  I  had  to 
feel  additionally  grateful  towards  you,  for  one  of  the 
little  exquisite  enjoyments  of  life.  A  burly,  hairy- 
faced  workman  stopped  me  in  the  street  to  thank 
me  '  for  making  a  man  of  him ' !  With  great  gusto 
he  told  me  that  he  could  never  in  his  life  keep  a 
sovereign  in  his  pocket,  until  he  was  induced  by  me 
to  open  a  banking  account  with  Her  Majesty  at 
the  Post  Office  Savings  Bank.  He  had  now  saved 
£zi^  and  had  just  sent  his  mother  '  a  fat  goose  and 
giblets,'  with  a  grand  wool  shawl  for  a  New  Year 
gift!  *If  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  Sir,'  he  said,  *I 
would  never  have  saved  a  sovereign.'  It  may, 
perhaps,  be  a  source  of  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to 
yourself  to  know  that  it  was  entirely  owing  to  your 
admirable  article  on  'Workmen's  Earnings  and 
Savings '  that  I  took  an  interest  in  opening  banking 

Railway  Monopoly"  (250);  "Life  Assurance  Companies"  (255); 
"  The  Police  of  London  "  (257).— I  ceased  writing  for  the  Quarterly 
and  other  periodical  publications  for  several  reasons.  First,  they  were 
always  worked  off  at  high  pressure.  Second,  because  the  articles 
cannot  be  reprinted  without  the  consent  of  the  publisher.  When  I 
suggested  the  republication  of  my  articles  in  the  Quarterly^  my 
proposal  was  declined.  Perhaps  the  proprietor  was  right,  because  the 
articles,  being  about  events  of  the  day,  and  based  perhaps  on  illustra- 
tions of  only  temporary  importance,  might  have  lost  their  interest  by 
the  time  of  the  republication.  Besides,  in  writing  articles  for  a 
Review,  you  hand  over  the  fruit  of  your  brain  and  diligence  to  another, 
and  cannot  afterwards  reclaim  them.  I  afterwards  preferred  writing 
for  myself,  at  my  leisure  ;  and  found  it  more  satisfactory. 


304  THRIFT,  ETC. 

accounts  for  workingf-people.  I  started  some  scores 
by  giving-  them  the  first  shilling,  and  requiring-  that 
tney  should  produce  to  me  tkeir  Bank  Book,  with  the 
magical  letters  on  the  envelope,  '  O.  H.  M.  S.' 
Since  then  the  Post  Office  Savings  Banks  have 
effected  a  wonderful  advancement  in  Thrifty  Habits. 
In  fact,  they  have  educated  the  people  in  thrift." 


After  a  good  deal  of  praise  from  my  unknown 
friend,  of  my  own  small  efforts  to  help  the  upward- 
striving  army  of  industry — and  turning  over  in  my 
mind  the  worth  of  good  words  thrown  into  fruitful 
ground,  where  they  spring  up  apace  into  good  works 
and  individual  progress — I  bethought  me  whether  I 
might  not  enlarge  the  above  article,  and  devote  a 
special  treatise  to  the  subject  of  Thrift.  I  consulted 
with  my  friend,  Mr  (afterwards  Sir)  Charles  W. 
Sikes,  Banker,  Huddersfield,  the  initiator  or  inventor 
of  the  Post  Office  Savings  Banks  system ;  and  he 
urged  me  to  proceed  with  my  proposed  treatise.*  I 
accordingly  sought  out  all  possible  information  on 
the    subject — Blue    Books,     Post    Office    Reports, 

■^  In  answering  my  letter,  Mr  Sikes  said  :  "Excuse  my  mentioning 
a  very  pleasing  incident  that  occurred  the  other  day.  A  Japanese 
gentleman  visiting  Huddersfield  came  to  this  Bank,  and  after  being 
introduced — he  talked  English  fairly — I,  amongst  other  inquiries, 
asked  what  English  books  were  translated  into  Japanese.  He  said, 
amongst  others,  Milton  and  Shakespeare,  which  were  greatly 
admired.  I  asked  whether  they  had  not  any  translations  of  Mr 
Smiles'  works  Self-Help  and  Character.  His  countenance  suddenly 
became  lighted  up  with  animation  and  pleasure.  "  Oh  yes  ! "  he  said, 
"they  are  my  favourites.  They  are  admirable  books,  and  read  by 
nearly  everybody."  I  was  much  gratified  in  hearing  that  the  Institution 
in  Japan  answering  to  our  House  of  Commons,  has  had  a  copy  of 
Self-Help  superbly  bound  in  six  handsome  volumes,  and  formally 
presented  to  the  Emperor  of  Japan,  recommending  it  for  His 
Majesty's  studious  perusal.  I  could  not  imagine  a  higher  honour 
being  paid  to  the  writings  of  any  English  author."  I  hope  the  reader 
will  excuse  the  vanity  of  making  this  extract  from  my  esteemed  friend's 
letter. 


1875]  THOMAS  EDWARD  305 

Co-operative  Societies'  Returns,  and  the  raw  material 
for  a  complete  book. 

As  I  was  then  upon  the  move,  and  my  household 
furniture  was  warehoused,  I  went  down  with  my 
family  to  St  Leonard's,  and  there  I  began  my  treatise. 
It  occupied  me  some  time  there.  Then  I  went  down 
to  Haddington,  and  proceeded  with  it ;  and  lastly,  I 
went  to  Banff,  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  where  I  took 
lodgings  for  a  few  weeks ;  and  there  ended  my  little 
work. 

The  reason  of  my  proceeding  to  Banff  was,  to 
have  some  conversation  with  Tom  Edward,  the 
Scottish  shoemaker.  I  had  written  about  him  in  Self- 
Help  many  years  before  as  a  hard-working  naturalist, 
who,  while  maintaining  himself  by  his  ill-paid  trade, 
had  devoted  himself,  in  the  midst  of  great  difficulties, 
to  the  study  of  natural  science.  While  at  St 
Leonard's,  I  had  some  correspondence  with  him,  but 
as  he  was  not  very  expert  at  writing  out  his  thoughts, 
I  thought  that  it  would  be  better  to  cross-examine 
him  on  the  spot.  I  did  not  think  of  writing  a  book 
about  him ;  but  wishing  for  a  change  of  scene  and 
change  of  air,  and  having  little  else  to  do,  I  went 
down  to  Aberdeen  by  steamer,  and  from  there 
proceeded  to  Banff  by  railway. 

I  found  it  was  as  I  had  suspected.  Thomas 
Edward  had  not  told  me  the  most  interesting  facts 
in  his  life.  It  required  some  art  and  a  good  deal  of 
literary  experience  to  do  that.  When  I  asked  him 
how  it  was  that  he  had  told  me  nothing  of  the  results 
of  his  exhibition  of  natural  history  at  Aberdeen,  he 
said  he  did  not  like  to  say  anything  about  it.  ''  How 
was  that?"  ''I  thought  of  making  away  with  my- 
self, "  he  answered.   And  then  I  succeeded  in  extracting 

from  him  the  whole  of  his  Interesting  story. 

u 


306  THRIFT,  ETC. 

I  went  along  the  coast,  east  and  west  of  Banff, 
to  see  the  scenes  of  Edward's  exploits.  I  went  along 
the  sands  to  the  kitchen-midden  at  Boyndie,  and  to 
Boyndie  churchyard,  where  Edward  had  spent  such 
a  terrible  night  among  the  tombs  ;  and  then  eastward, 
through  Macduff,  to  the  rocky  coast  near  Tarlair, 
where  Edward  had  nearly  lost  his  life  in  falling  from 
the  rocks  in  pursuit  of  a  wounded  bird.  I  picked  up 
a  great  many  anecdotes  in  the  course  of  these  bits  of 
journeys. 

The  herring  season  was  on.  The  piers  at  Banff 
and  Macduff  were  covered  with  herring-gutters  ;  and 
the  fishing-boats  were  going  out  in  the  evening,  and 
coming  in  in  the  morning  full  of  glittering  fry. 
Everybody  was  active.  There  were  numbers  of 
foreign  ships  waiting  for  their  loads,  destined  for 
Hamburg,  Stettin,  and  other  ports  on  the  Baltic, 
for  the  herring  is  not  caught  merely  for  home  use. 
The  bulk  of  the  annual  catch  is  exported  for  foreign 
consumption. 

Another  question  suggested  itself — that  of  Race. 
Where  had  these  fishing  people  come  from,  who  take 
to  the  sea  as  naturally  as  the  ducks  take  to  water  ?  It 
was  the  same  question  that  had  stirred  me  in  making 
my  journey  through  the  North  Frisian  Islands. 
Take  a  map,  and  look  at  the  proximity  of  Norway 
to  Scotland.  Right  opposite  to  the  Moray  Firth, 
across  the  North  Sea,  lies  Norway,  containing  the 
keenest  sea-going  population  in  the  world.  The 
country  was  too  rocky  and  barren  to  support  a  large 
number  of  persons.  As  families  increased,  the 
younger  people  took  to  their  boats — for  they  were 
all  sailors — and  made  for  new  and  unoccupied 
countries.  The  nearest  land,  on  the  western  side, 
was  Scotland ;   and  there  the  immigrants  landed  in 


1875]  NORSEMEN  AND  CELTS  307 

boat  loads,  increasing  from  year  to  year  ;  and  eventu- 
ally peopled  the  whole  of  the  eastern  parts  of 
Scotland.  That  seems  to  me  a  perfectly  clear  origin 
of  the  lowland  population  of  the  north-eastern 
countries. 

They  settled  also  in  the  islands  north  of  Scotland, 
in  the  Orkneys,  the  Shetlands,  the  Faroes,  and 
Iceland ;  where  they  are  still  as  Norwegian  as  they 
were  a  thousand  years  ago.  Indeed,  until  within  the 
last  four  hundred  years,  not  only  Orkney  and 
Shetland,  but  the  Hebrides,  were  governed  by  the 
king  of  Denmark  and  Norway.  In  1469,  the  former 
islands  were  pledged  for  the  dowry  of  Margaret, 
"Maiden  of  Norway,"  daughter  of  the  Danish 
monarch,  who  became  the  queen  of  James  III.  of 
Scotland ;  but  as  the  dowry  was  never  paid,  the 
islands  thenceforward  belonged  to  the  latter  country, 
though  the  race  has  continued  the  same.  All  round 
the  northern  part  of  the  island,  the  people  are  still 
purely  Scandinavian.  Their  features  and  configura- 
tion, the  names  of  the  towns  and  farms  where  they 
live,  and  of  the  headlands  and  firths  or  fiords  of  the 
sea,  are,  for  the  most  part,  Norse.  Dr  Jamieson 
also  has  shown,  in  his  Dictionary  of  the  Scottish 
Language,  that  the  speech  of  the  people  of  the 
lowlands  of  Scotland  has  been  in  a  great  measure 
founded  on  that  of  their  Norwegian  ancestors. 

The  new  people  brought  with  them  their  sea-going 
habits.  The  Celts  will  not  go  to  sea,  if  they  can 
avoid  it.  The  Highlander  is  a  capable  soldier,  but 
a  bad  sailor.  He  will  fish  in  fresh  water,  but  not  in 
salt.  There  are  many  great  Highland  military 
leaders,  but  no  great  Highland  admirals.  Nearly 
all  our  leading  naval  men,  discoverers,  and  arctic 
voyagers,  have  been  of  Scandinavian  derivation. 


308  THRIFT,  ETC. 

I  returned  to  London  with  my  health  recruited 
and  my  mind  full  of  new  information.  The  first 
thing-  I  did  was  to  finish  Thrift,  and  put  it  in  the 
hands  of  the  printers.  It  was  successful  when 
published ;  and  I  believe  it  induced  many  hard 
working  people  to  think  of  **the  rainy  day,"  and  to 
lay  by  something  as  a  store,  not  only  for  independ- 
ence, but  for  help  in  the  future.  It  was  translated 
into  many  languages.  The  first  translation  was  the 
Dutch.  I  bought  a  copy  of  the  work  in  a  book- 
shop in  Amsterdam,  and  found  that  the  translator 
had  illustrated  it  with  many  notes.  Besides  being 
translated  into  French,  German,  and  Italian,  it  was 
also  given  in  Magyar  for  the  Hungarians,  and  in 
Serbo-Croatian  for  the  Serbs  and  Croats. 

Of  course  it  was  reprinted  in  America.  The 
Canadians  tried  to  smuggle  a  low-priced  edition  into 
the  States,  but  the  London  Copyright  Association 
interfered,  and  in  1875  an  action  was  commenced  in 
the  Canadian  law  courts  in  my  name  ;  and  the  illegiti- 
mate Canadian  publishers  were  required  to  stop  their 
further  interference.*  I  may  mention  that  the  house 
of  Harper  Brothers,  of  New  York,  were  disposed  to 
pay  me  very  fairly  for  advance  sheets ;  but  that,  on 
the  attempted  smuggling  of  the  Canadian  publishers, 
and  the  piracy  of  my  books  by  a  big  publishing  house 
of  New  York  (Monro),  they  stopped  the  practice; 
and  I  took  my  chance  of  what  copies  were  sold  of  a 
book-printed  edition,  after  they  had  passed  the  work 
through  their  "Franklin  Library"  series,  at  from 
7d.  to  lod.  a  number. 

I  then  proceeded  with  my  Life  of  Thomas 
Edward,  the  Scotch  Naturalist.     I  thought  that  the 

*  This  was  the  important  case  of  Smiles  v.  Belford,  a  leading  case 
on  the  subject  of  Canadian  copyright. — Ed. 


1876]  VISIT  TO  BANFF  309 

volume  might  be  made  interesting-  enough ;  because 
the  life  of  Edward  was  so  full  of  human  nature  and 
love  of  science  ;  besides  setting  forth  a  fine  example 
of  how  difficulties,  even  the  most  harassing,  might 
be  faced,  battled  with,  and  overcome.  But  I  wished 
to  see  my  shoemaker  again ;  and  in  the  summer  of 
1876,  I  again  proceeded  to  Aberdeen.  Mr  George 
Reid,*  my  friend,  the  artist,  agreed  to  accompany  me 
for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  book.  We  went 
by  Fraserburgh  round  the  north  coast  of  Aberdeen, 
through  Aberdour,  Pennan,  Troup,  and  Gamrie,  to 
Macduff  and  Banff;  and  there  Mr  Reid  finished  his 
fine  drawing  of  the  old  shoemaker  at  his  last, 
with  ''Here  I  am  Still"  underneath,  at  the  end  of 
the  volume.  I  was  much  indebted  to  Mr  Reid  for 
all  that  he  had  done ;  and  the  success  of  the  volume 
was  greatly  owing  to  him.  I  need  say  nothing 
further  here ;  for  I  have,  in  the  last  edition  of  the 
book,  said  all  that  has  to  be  said  about  the  subject 
of  its  publication. 

In  the  following  year,  April  1877,  I  paid  another 
visit  to  Holland.  I  found  the  country  a  good  deal 
altered  since  I  had  first  visited  it  some  forty  years 
before.  Travelling  by  trickschuyt  and  diligence  had 
been  superseded  by  travelling  by  railway.  It  was  now 
easy  to  travel  through  the  entire  kingdom,  from  one 
side  to  another,  in  less  than  a  day.  I  still  found 
the  same  indications  of  industry  and  cleanliness. 
But  the  old  dresses  were  being  superseded  by  those 
of  French  fashion.  The  ships  were  still  sailing  inland 
among  the  fields  and  trees  ;  sometimes  a  little  above 
them.  Nearly  every  bit  of  land  in  Holland  has  been 
won  from  the  sea,  and  it  is  still  kept  together  by 

*  Now  Sir  George  Reid,  and  some-time  President  of  the  Royal 
Scottish  Academy. — Ed. 


310  THRIFT,  ETC. 

immense  dykes  and  embankments.  Everything-  is 
utilised  by  this  industrious  people.  Even  the  shells 
cast  upon  the  seashore  at  Katwyk  are  made  into 
lime.  The  wind  is  not  allowed  to  pass  without 
paying-  a  heavy  toll  of  labour.  It  drives  the  wind- 
mills, pumps  the  water  from  the  polders,  grinds 
flour  and  mustard,  and  is  used  for  all  the  purposes 
for  which  steam  is  used  in  England. 

I  landed  at  Flushing,  visited  some  friends  at 
Middelburg,  and  then  went  on  to  Utrecht  and 
Amsterdam.  One  of  my  objects  was  to  inspect  the 
new  canal  cut  across  North  Holland  from  the  river 
Y  to  the  North  Sea  west  of  Velsen,  and  then  to 
visit  our  ancestors  in  the  province  of  Friesland.  A 
letter  of  introduction  from  Sir  John  Hawkshaw  (the 
engineer  of  the  above  canal)  provided  me  with  every 
facility  for  my  visit  of  inspection.  When  the  canal 
is  finished,  it  will  be  23  feet  deep,  and  in  the  harbour 
on  the  North  Sea,  the  depth  hvill  be  28  feet  at  high 
water. 

I  stayed  for  a  few  days  in  Amsterdam.  It  is  a 
remarkable  city.  It  has  been  made  by  persecution, 
which  drove  into  it  first  the  Dutch  and  Belgian  and 
French  Protestants,  and  then  the  Jews,  who  abound 
there,  to  the  number  of  30,000,  and  are  very  indus- 
trious and  wealthy.  The  Dutch  would  bear  anything 
rather  than  the  Inquisition.  They  sank  piles  into 
the  sand — of  from  30  to  50  feet  in  length — and  built 
upon  them  houses,  and  fortifications,  and  windmills, 
which  work  when  the  wind  blows. 

M.  Havard  has  written  an  interesting  volume  in 
which  he  compares  Amsterdam  to  Venice.  But  they 
might  better  be  contrasted.  There  is  a  constant 
busy  hum  at  Amsterdam,  while  there  is  a  perfect 
silence  at  Venice.     At  Amsterdam  everybody  is  busy, 


1877]  VISIT  TO  HOLLAND  311 

and  all  are  on  the  move.  New  docks  are  under  con- 
struction, and  old  docks  are  being-  repaired.  New 
houses,  warehouses,  and  places  of  business  are 
rebuilding;  while  at  Venice  everything  is  sad  and 
silent,  and  brawny  fellows  are  lying  asleep  about  the 
doorsteps  of  palaces,  or  on  the  canal  stairs.  At 
Amsterdam,  you  observe  barges  filled  with  goods 
poled  along,  while  at  Venice  you  meet  gondolas  filled 
with  pleasure-seekers.  At  Amsterdam  everything 
looks  new ;  the  oldest  houses  have  their  colour 
constantly  renewed ;  the  doors  and  window  frames 
are  always  kept  bright ;  but  at  Venice  the  finest 
buildings  seem  going  to  decay.  The  cleanliness 
of  the  two  cities  is  not  to  be  compared.  The  cold 
of  Amsterdam  makes  men  hardy,  and  incites 
them  to  work :  in  Venice  the  idea  is,  dolce  far 
niente. 

I  went  to  Harlem  to  see  the  wonderful  portraiture 
of  Frans  Hals  in  the  museum  there.  The  men  are 
splendid.  They  are  mostly  men  with  fair  hair  and 
blue  eyes,  with  muscular  faces  and  large  fieshy  noses 
— men  capable  of  taking  hard  knocks  and  giving 
them  too.  The  portraits  of  the  women  are  also 
superb.  Jan  de  Bray  also  is  very  good,  especially 
in  his  portraits  of  old  men  and  women.  In  colour 
he  is  equal  to  Rubens.  P.  Soutman,  though  he  is 
less  known,  is  admirable.  I  fancy  that  from  their 
colour,  the  old  Dutch  must  have  been  considerable 
beer  drinkers.  In  this  respect  they  very  much 
resemble  the  people  of  England,  where  beer  is  king. 
Teniers  and  Ostade  make  beer  and  human  nature 
the  subject  of  their  pictures.  One  of  Wouverman's 
works  in  the  Riks  Museum  at  Amsterdam  (No. 
461)  represents  a  regular  shillelagh  fight  of  drunken 
men. 


312  THRIFT,  ETC. 

I  went  to  the  Hague,  to  take  another  view  of  the 
fine  selection  of  pictures  in  the  National  Gallery- 
there.  The  day  was  very  cold  (20th  April),  for  the 
east  wind  was  blowing  bitterly.  To  show  the  care 
which  the  people  take  of  their  cattle,  I  found  that  the 
cows  had  still  their  shawls  on !  At  the  Hague 
Gallery,  I  was  attracted  by  the  fine  portrait  of 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  who  was  murdered  by 
the  Jesuit  Gerard  in  the  Church  at  Delft,  in  the 
year  1584.  It  is  a  severe,  sad  portrait,  surmounted 
with  his  last  words :  "  Mon  Dieu,  ayes  pitie  de  mon 
ime  :  mon  Dieu,  ayes  pitie  de  ce  pauvre  peuple ! "  He 
died  in  the  arms  of  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  Admiral 
Coligny.  Her  portrait  is  also  sad  and  solemn ;  and 
she  must  long  have  remembered  her  husband's 
violent  death.  I  was  again  reminded  of  the  like- 
nesses of  well-known  Dutchmen  to  well-known 
Englishmen.  For  instance,  Ferdinand  Bol's  portrait 
of  Admiral  de  Ruyter  at  the  Hague  is  very  like 
Cooper's  portrait  of  Oliver  Cromwell. 

Holland  is  so  small,  that  by  taking  up  one's  quarters 
at  Amsterdam,  and  using  the  railway,  it  is  easy  to  see 
the  whole  country  within  a  short  time.  Among  my 
various  journeys,  I  made  one  through  North  Holland 
to  the  H elder,  to  see  the  immense  bulwarks  thrown 
up  to  preserve  the  enclosed  lands  from  inundations 
by  the  sea.  It  is  curious,  as  we  pass  along  the 
Grand  Canal  which  unites  Helder  with  Amster- 
dam, to  see  the  sails  of  the  vessels  occasionally 
overtopping  the  roofs  of  the  houses.  And  yet 
vessels  of  the  largest  kind  pass  from  the  North 
Sea  to  the  capital  of  Holland  in  this  way ;  for 
the  Zuider  Zee  is  too  shallow  to  give  access  to 
larger  ships. 

The  whole  of  North  Holland,  though  won  from 


1877]  HOLLAND  313 

the  sea,  is  covered  with  the  richest  verdure ;  and  the 
numbers  of  cattle,  the  comfortable-looking  houses, 
and  the  well-clad  people,  show  that  the  inhabitants 
are  enjoying-  the  fruits  of  their  industry.  When  I 
reached  H  elder,  I  was  told  that  the  bulk  of  the  men 
were  out  herring--fishingf.  The  same  might  have 
been  said  of  the  people  at  Yarmouth,  right  oppo- 
site Helder,  on  the  further  side  of  the  North  Sea. 
The  men  and  women  of  North  Holland  and  Norfolk 
and  Suffolk  are  very  like  each  other  —  not  only 
in  their  sea  pursuits,  but  in  their  farming  opera- 
tions. 

As  in  the  North  Friesland  islands,  the  house, 
barn,  and  byre  are  usually  under  one  roof  Until  the 
thirteenth  century.  North  Holland  was  united  with 
Friesland,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Zuider  Zee.  A 
fresh-water  lake,  which  the  Romans  called  Lake 
Flevo,  occupied  part  of  the  inland  country,  until  a 
terrible  storm  from  the  north  washed  away  the 
intervening  land,  and  drove  the  sea  inland  as  far  as 
Naarden  and  Harderwijk ;  when  Lake  Flevo  dis- 
appeared. But  the  race  peopling  both  regions  still 
continued  to  be  the  same. 

One  sometimes  wonders  where  the  Suffolk  and 
east  of  England  country  people  got  their  half  sing- 
song, nasal  twang,  which  the  early  Puritans  carried 
with  them  to  the  New  England  colonies  of  North 
America,  and  which  is  now  known  as  the  Yankee 
dialect  or  twang.  They  got  it,  of  course,  from 
Friesland,  where  it  still  exists  ;  and  where  the  race 
is  the  same,  the  habits  of  the  people  are  the  same, 
and  the  language  is  in  a  great  measure  the  same. 
Yankee  is  only  another  word  for  English  ;  for  the 
Indians  could  not  compass  the  pronunciation  of  the 
latter  word,  but  transformed  it  into  ''Yankee."    The 


814  THRIFT,  ETC. 

Puritans  longr  preserved  the  nasal  twang.  I  knew  it 
when  a  boy ;  and  the  last  time  I  heard  it  was  from 
the  famous  Mr  Gurney,  in  the  Quaker  meeting-house 
at  Leeds. 

The  works  along  the  sea-face  at  the  Helder  (Hel- 
deur,  or  Hell's  door)  are  of  a  gigantic  character.  The 
extremity  of  the  tongue  of  land  which  forms  North 
Holland,  is  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  North  Sea  in 
storms,  and  is  accordingly  defended  on  all  sides  by  a 
rampart  of  the  very  largest  dimensions.  It  consists 
of  gigantic  blocks  of  granite,  brought  principally 
from  Norway ;  and  descends  into  the  sea  by  a  slope 
of  about  200  feet.  The  dyke  is  nearly  2  leagues 
long,  and  is  40  feet  broad  at  the  summit,  over  which 
there  is  a  very  good  road.  The  labour,  and  industry, 
and  skill  necessary  to  construct  this  magnificent 
bulwark,  and  to  keep  it  in  repair  from  day  to  day, 
must  have  been  enormous. 

From  Amsterdam,  on  another  day,  I  made  a 
voyage  northward  by  a  stoom-boot  to  Harlingen,  on 
the  Zuider  Zee.  We  were  literally  let  down  from  the 
great  canal,  for  the  tide  was  low.  Our  vessel  was  let 
through  three  great  sluices,  capable  of  accommodating 
large  ships — for  the  great  dyke,  through  which  we 
passed,  is  the  key  of  the  works  of  the  great  canal. 
The  water  was  so  shallow,  that  our  steamer  had  to 
make  long  detours  to  keep  off  the  sandbanks.  At 
one  place  the  water  was  only  6  feet  deep  ;  and  we  had 
occasionally  to  slacken  speed  until  we  reached  deeper 
water. 

We  passed  the  island  of  Marken,  and  the  decayed 
cities  of  Hoorn  and  Enkhuizen,  so  well  described  by 
Havard.  An  engineer  who  was  on  board  described 
to  me  the  storm  which  had  taken  place  only  three 
months   before,  on   the   30th  and   31st  of  January 


1877]  HOLLAND  315 

1877.  The  waves  had  then  flowed  nearly  all  over  the 
island  of  Marken  ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  only- 
saved  by  taking  refuge  in  the  church,  which  is 
situated  on  the  highest  point  of  the  island.  All 
their  furniture  and  provisions  were  swept  away 
by  the  waves.  The  people  were  mostly  fishermen, 
and  a  subscription  was  then  being-  made  for  their 
relief 

This  storm  was  about  the  worst  which  had 
been  experienced  for  thirty  years.  It  continued  for 
nearly  two  days.  The  wind  blew  strong-  from  the 
north-west,  and  sent  the  waves  flying-  right  over  the 
sea  walls.  A  breach  was  actually  made  near  Hinde- 
loopen,  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Zuider  Zee,  and, 
had  the  storm  continued  for  a  few  hours  longer,  the 
whole  of  Friesland  would  have  been  under  water.  But 
fortunately  the  wind  abated,  and  the  province  was 
saved.  The  fact  shows,  that  from  day  to  day  the 
principal  part  of  Holland  is  preserved  by  careful 
industry  and  self-help — Providence  being  there,  too, 
helping  people  to  help  themselves. 

The  engineer  further  told  me  of  the  project  that 
was  on  foot  for  reclaiming  the  whole  of  the  land  on 
the  Zuider  Zee,  south  of  the  island  of  Urk.  The 
Schellingwonde  Dyk  had  already  been  constructed 
opposite  Nieuerdamer.  Ten  thousand  piles  of  from 
50  to  60  feet  in  length  had  already  been  driven  into 
the  mud  or  clay ;  and  the  rows  of  piles  had  been 
filled  with  various  materials.  It  was  believed  that 
the  land  under  the  Zuider  Zee,  when  reclaimed,  would 
prove  most  excellent ;  and  that  about  400,000 
additional  acres  —  or  equal  to  the  extent  of  our 
county  of  Surrey — would  be  added  to  the  cultivated 
land  of  the  country. 

I  landed  at  Harlingen,  one  of  the  principal  sea- 


316  THRIFT,  ETC. 

ports  of  Friesland,  on  the  Zuider  Zee,  from  which 
England  receives  a  considerable  proportion  of  its 
butter,  cheese,  and  egg's.  The  Frieslanders  are  in- 
tensely industrious,  and  not  only  produce  enough  food 
for  themselves,  but  are  able  to  spare  a  surplus  for  us. 
Harlingen  stands  on  the  site  of  a  town  swallowed  up 
by  the  sea  more  than  seven  hundred  years  ago.  1 1 
looks  secure  enough  now ;  but  when  the  islands  of 
Texel  and  Vlieland  are  swallowed  up  (which  now 
protect  it  against  the  stormy  west),  no  one  can  tell 
what  may  again  become  of  Harlingen.  The  country 
inland  is  splendidly  cultivated  ;  and  the  fields  are  full 
of  well-fed  cattle. 

Here  the  people  are  mostly  bright  and  ruddy, 
of  good  stature,  fair -haired,  and  light -blue  eyed. 
The  women  wear  gold  and  silver  plates  over  their 
temples;  some  of  them  have  quite  a  family  fortune 
round  their  heads.  French  fashions  are,  how- 
ever, beginning  to  supersede  the  ancient  Friesland 
dresses. 

As  we  approached  Leeuwarden,  the  capital  of 
Friesland,  I  observed  the  Terpen,  or  built-up  mounds, 
on  which  the  old  churches  and  farm-buildings  stand. 
These  resemble  the  same  erections  on  the  Halligs  of 
the  North  Frisian  islands.  These  high  grounds 
afforded  refuge  to  the  inhabitants  from  inundation, 
before  the  country  was  properly  dyked.  They  for  the 
most  part  consist  of  earth ;  but  as  in  Holland  earth 
is  too  valuable  to  be  raised  in  mounds,  when  the  land 
became  properly  protected  by  embankments,  the 
greater  number  of  the  terpen  were  levelled,  and  the 
earth  used  for  raising  the  low-lying  lands.  Again 
here,  as  in  North  Friesland,  the  farmhouses  are  long 
and  thatched,  and  house,  barn,  and  byre,  are  all 
under  one  roof. 


1877]  HOLLAND  317 

At  Leeuwarden,  I  went  to  see  the  collection  of 
Frisian  antiquities.  Mr  J.  Dirks,  the  director, 
permitted  me  to  see  it,  although  it  was  not  yet 
opened  to  the  public.  I  was  helped  by  a  letter  from 
Mr  Alma  Tadema,  a  native  of  the  town,  some  of 
whose  pictures  are  in  the  collection  of  works  of  native 
artists.  The  carvings  in  wood,  gold,  silver,  and 
ivory,  are  very  fine.  All  the  old  houses  of  the 
Frisians,  with  their  ancient  furniture,  were  exhibited. 
The  antiquities  of  Friesland  —  with  their  stone 
hammers,  celts,  and  arrow-heads — were  also  there  ; 
with  the  succeeding  works  in  bronze,  iron,  and  gold. 
Specimens  of  Frisian  dresses  were  also  exhibited 
from  various  parts  of  the  province. 

After  a  journey  eastward  to  Groningen — during 
which  I  observed  that  most  of  the  engines  on  the 
Staats  Spoorweg  were  constructed  by  Peacock  &  Co. 
of  Manchester — a  very  different  state  of  affairs  from 
the  time  when  we  owed  nearly  all  our  English 
engineering  to  Holland — I  returned  to  Amsterdam  ; 
then  went  on  to  Rotterdam ;  then  to  Middelburg  in 
the  island  of  Walcheren.  I  here  paid  a  visit  in  pass- 
ing to  my  friend.  The  Honourable  M.  Picke,  formerly 
a  judge  and  member  of  the  Dutch  Government. 
Like  many  of  the  best  families  in  Holland,  M.  Picke 
is  descended  from  a  Huguenot,  who  left  France  for 
conscience'  sake. 

My  visit  to  Middelburg  was  very  pleasant.  I  was 
warmly  received  and  hospitably  entertained.  I  went 
to  see  the  Museum  and  the  new  Church  (St  Peter's). 
In  the  latter,  I  found  the  monuments  of  the  brothers 
Evertsen — Ian  and  Cornelius.  They  were  natives  of 
the  town,  and  were  both  killed  in  1666,  in  the  same 
naval  battle  of  Zeeland,  while  fighting  for  their  father- 
land.     The  shirt    and   coat  worn    by  the    leading 


318  THRIFT,  ETC. 

Admiral  in  this  engagement,  are  still  preserved  under 
glass  in  the  Museum  of  the  town.  There  is  also  a 
picture  of  the  Evertsen  family  in  the  Stadhuis,  or 
Townhall ;  a  fine  building-  erected  by  Charles  the 
Bold  in  1468.  Though  Admiral  de  Ruyter  was  not  a 
native  of  this  place,  but  of  Flushing,  the  wheel,  on 
which  he  made  ropes  when  a  boy,  is  preserved  in  the 
Middelburg  Museum. 

M.  Picke  took  me  round  the  island  of  Walcheren 
to  see  the  farming,  the  schools,  and  the  great  em- 
bankment at  West  Cappel.  At  one  of  the  schools, 
the  boys  and  girls — to  whom  my  name  seemed  to  be 
known,  when  it  was  mentioned  to  them — sang  to  me 
their  national  song,  "Wien  Neerlansch  bloed,"  in 
splendid  style.  They  sang  another  popular  ballad, 
which  well  embodies  the  national  sentiments : — 


"Wij  leven  vrij,  wij  leven  blij 

Op  Neerlands  dierbren  grond, 
Ontworsteld  aan  de  slavernij, 
Zijn  wij  door  eendragt  groot  en  vrij 
Hier  duldt  de  grond  geen  dwinglandij 
Waar  vrijheid  eeuwen  stond."  * 


All  over  this  little  island,  won  from  the  sea  by 
indefatigable  labour,  you  see  the  fruits  of  Dutch 
thrift,  industry,  and  love  of  freedom.  The  meadows, 
carefully  manured,  bear  excellent  grass.  Fields  of 
colza,  in  yellow  bloom,  are  seen  far  and  near. 
Everything  is  made  to  yield  its  tribute  to  industry. 
Even  the  rushes  and  reeds  on  the  canal  banks,  when 
boiled  and  sprinkled  with  salt,  are  much  relished  by 

*  The  following  is  a  literal  translation: — "We  live  free,  we  live 
blithe,  on  Netherland's  dear  ground  ;  delivered  from  slavery,  we  are 
through  concord  great  and  free  ;  here  the  land  suffers  no  tyranny, 
where  freedom  has  subsisted  for  ages." 


1877]  HOLLAND  319 

the  cattle,  which  thrive  upon  the  food ;  and  the  cows 
yield  abundance  of  excellent  milk. 

The  fields,  the  gardens,  and  the  plantations  which 
we  passed  on  our  journey,  imparted  a  picturesque  and 
prosperous  appearance  to  the  country.  There  were 
numerous  villas  and  country  seats  for  the  wealthy ; 
the  farmers  and  country  people  lived  in  clean,  roomy, 
and  comfortable  houses  ;  and  everything  showed  that 
the  people  were  fairly  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their 
labour. 

Even  the  storks  seemed  to  be  as  busy  as  the 
people.  We  observed  them  at  every  bit  of  canal, 
standing  with  their  long  legs  in  the  water,  and  scoop- 
ing up  with  their  long  bills  the  abundant  frogs  or  frog 
spawn  for  their  breakfast  or  dinner.  As  the  sound  of 
our  carriage  reached  their  ears,  they  gathered  them- 
selves together,  drew  in  their  neck,  shot  out  their 
wings,  and  went  off  in  a  long,  straddling,  unwieldy 
swing.  These  storks  are,  however,  the  ''sacred 
bird"  of  Holland.  They  are  not  only  protected  by 
opinion,  but  protected  by  law.  The  man  who  killed 
a  stork  would  almost  be  regarded  as  a  public 
enemy. 

We  approached  the  great  dyke  or  embankment  of 
West  Cappel.  It  is  really  an  immense  work.  The 
island  at  this  point  is  exposed  to  the  full  fury  of  the 
North  Sea  when  raging  in  storms ;  and  the  inland 
country  is  only  preserved  from  inundation  by  the 
tremendous  strength  and  thickness  of  the  embank- 
ment. Indeed,  the  entire  region  of  Zeeland  maintains 
a  constant  struggle  for  existence ;  and  its  motto  is 
thoroughly  appropriate  —  ''  Luc  tor,  et  emergo  "  — 
*'  I  strive,  and  keep  my  head  above  water."  Some 
seventy  years  ago  (in  1808)  the  dyke  burst,  and  in 
came  the  sea  water  over  the  whole  of  Walcheren. 


320  THRIFT,  ETC. 

The  sea  actually  stood  as  higfh  as  the  roofs  of  the 
houses  in  the  streets  of  MIddelburgf,  and  only  the 
strength  of  the  walls  saved  the  place  from  destruc- 
tion. 

When  we  saw  the  place,  a  large  body  of  men 
were  engaged  in  repairing  the  injury  done  to  the 
embankments  in  January  last ;  when  Friesland  so 
narrowly  escaped  submergence.  About  five  hundred 
men  were  at  work,  inserting  new  blocks  of  masonry 
on  the  sea  face  of  the  sloping  wall,  and  repairing  the 
paalhoofd  or  groynes  at  the  bottom  of  the  embank- 
ment. The  ravages  of  the  paalworm  ( Teredo  navalis) 
are  prevented  by  the  use  of  thick  iron  nails.  M. 
Picke  said  that,  costly  though  it  was,  the  embankment 
was  worth  its  weight  in  silver.  And  yet  it  is  many  miles 
long,  is  from  1 20  to  1 50  feet  in  width  at  the  founda- 
tion, and  has  a  splendid  carriage  road  along  the  top. 
The  annual  expense  of  keeping  this  special  embank- 
ment in  repair  amounts  to  about  ^700 !  Of  course, 
the  most  skilled  engineers  are  constantly  at  work  to 
preserve  the  embankments  in  complete  and  perfect 
condition.  All  this  furnishes  a  further  illustration  of 
the  energetic  vigour  of  the  people  of  this  sea-encom- 
passed nation. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  the  following  things 
strike  me  as  marking  the  characteristics  of  the 
Teutonic  race,  of  whom  the  Dutch  form  a  prominent 
example:  i.  Their  individuality,  out  of  which  comes 
their  independence.  2.  Their  respect  for  the  rights 
of  property.  3.  Their  respect  for  women,  children, 
home  (heim),*  and  family.  4.  Their  persistent 
industry.  5.  Their  love  of  the  sea ;  which  becomes 
developed  in  6.  Their  commercial  spirit.     There  may 

*  Tuin  (equivalent  to  the  English  ton)  in  Dutch,  means  "  garden  " 
or  "  enclosure." 


1877]  VISIT  TO  THURSO  321 

be  other  features ;  but  these  are  enough  for  the 
present. 

I  returned  to  London  from  Flushlni?,  on  the  3rd 
day  of  May  1877.  I  required  some  little  occupation. 
For  the  present  I  kept  all  my  observations  on  Race 
in  the  form  of  notes.  But  I  had  already  another 
work  pretty  far  advanced,  to  which  I  again  directed 
my  attention.  This  was  a  Memoir  of  Robert  Dick, 
a  hard-working  baker  at  Thurso,  who,  by  dint  of 
close  observation,  had  made  some  considerable 
additions  to  science  before  his  death  in  1866. 

After  my  last  visit  to  Thomas  Edward  at  Banff  in 

1876,  I  went  northward  to  Thurso,  and  saw  the 
various  scenes  of  Dick's  labours.  I  also  succeeded 
in  obtaining  many  of  Dick's  letters  to  his  friends  and 
intimate  associates ;  from  which  I  proceeded  to 
elaborate  a  sketch  of  his  interesting  career.  But  I 
had  not  seen  enough  of  the  country  itself,  and   in 

1877,  shortly  after  my  return  from  Holland,  I 
proceeded  to  Aberdeen  by  sea,  then  on  to  Wick, 
also  by  steamer ;  and  thence  I  proceeded  all  round 
the  northern  coast  to  Thurso  and  Strath  Halla- 
dale.  I  stayed  for  a  few  days  at  John  o'  Groats, 
and  thence  visited  the  wild  coast  by  Duncansbay 
Head  and  Freswick.  The  late  Earl  of  Caithness 
had  seen  an  announcement  of  my  visit  to  the  north 
in  an  Aberdeen  paper,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  John 
o'  Groat's  Hotel,  asking  me  to  come  over  and  see  him 
at  Barrogill  Castle.  I  went  accordingly,  and  enjoyed 
the  hospitality  of  his  lordship.  Barrogill  Castle  is  a 
curious  old  building,  consisting  of  a  square  tower 
with  heavy  battlemented  turrets  at  each  angle ;  and 
in  the  wild  old  times  it  may  have  been  capable  of 
making  a  considerable  defence.  From  the  summit  of 
the  tower,  a  fine  view  is  obtained  of  the  Pentland 


322  THRIFT,  ETC. 

Firth,  with  Dunnet  Head  to  the  westward,  and  the 
rocky  coast  of  Hoy  on  the  north-west.  The 
neighbourhood  of  the  castle  is  bare ;  for  the  winds 
are  so  powerful,  and  the  site  is  so  exposed,  that  trees 
will  not  grow  there.  An  attempt  has  been  made  to 
enclose  the  castle  with  a  plantation ;  but  where  the 
wall  ceases,  the  tops  of  the  trees  are  sharply  cut 
away  by  the  sea-drift,  as  if  they  had  been  shorn  by  a 
scythe.  I  went  to  see  the  remnants  of  "  Pict's 
Houses"  on  the  estate,  and  the  little  haven  of  Mey, 
which  the  earl  had  constructed  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  people  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Returning  to  John  o'  Groats,  I  afterwards  drove 
round  the  coast,  by  Canisbay  and  Dunnet,  and  across 
the  sands  to  Thurso,  or  Thor's  town,  a  regular 
Scandinavian  settlement.  Here  I  took  up  my 
quarters  for  several  weeks,  and  visited  the  entire 
neighbourhood,  making  sketches  of  the  principal 
coast  scenery.  I  now  found  my  taste  for  drawing 
useful.  I  had  cultivated  it  by  copying  from  Sir 
Richard  Wallace's  pictures  at  Bethnal  Green ;  and 
I  was  now  able  to  make  pretty  fair  sketches  in  water- 
colour,  which  were  afterwards  used  in  illustrating  the 
Life  of  Robert  Dick.  Mr  Traill,  of  Castlehill,  took 
me  round  Dunnet  Head  in  his  yacht ;  when  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  making  some  sketches  of  that 
grand  old  cliff,  round  to  the  entrance  of  the  Pentland 
Firth. 

After  picking  up  all  necessary  information,  and 
making  many  drawings,  I  went  southward,  and  after 
spending  some  pleasant  days  with  Mr  Fowler  at 
Loch  Broom,  we  went  to  Loch  Maree  and  Gair- 
loch,  and  returned  by  Inverness  to  the  Bridge 
of  Allan,  near  Stirling.  From  this  place  I  made 
excursions   to   Tullibody,   Menstrie,  Alloa,  and  the 


1877]  GEORGE  MOORE  323 

neighbourhood  of  the  Ochils,  to  visit  the  scenes  and 
make  drawings  of  the  places  connected  with  Robert 
Dick's  early  life.  After  some  time  in  Edinburgh, 
during-  which  I  visited  Mr  Peach,  the  old  friend  of 
Dick,  I  returned  home,  with  my  note-book  and 
sketch-book  full  of  memoranda  for  future  use. 

I  had  not  yet  begun  my  work  for  the  press.  But 
before  I  could  proceed,  I  was  requested  to  take  up  an 
entirely  different  subject.  My  practice  up  to  this 
time,  had  invariably  been  to  select  my  own  topics. 
I  might  have  become  a  biographer  general,  and 
adopted  the  practice  of  Dumas,  who  employed  other 
people  to  work  for  him  in  a  sort  of  novel  manufactory. 
But  I  refused  all  invitations  to  write  biographies  ;  and 
I  only  selected  those  subjects  towards  which  I  felt 
specially  attracted.  Besides,  I  worked  for  amuse- 
ment, as  well  as  to  fill  up  my  unemployed  time 
pleasantly.  The  only  exception  I  made  was  in  the 
case  to  which  I  am  about  to  refer. 

I  received  a  letter  from  Mr  Murray,  enclosing  one 
from  the  late  Mr  Thomas  Longman,  urging  me  to 
undertake  the  Life  of  the  late  George  Moore.  I  did 
not  know  anything  of  Mr  Moore.  I  had  heard 
of  his  deeds  of  philanthropy,  and  seen  an  account 
of  the  accident  in  the  streets  of  Carlisle,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died.  But  that  was  all.  I  did 
not  take  part  in  public  meetings,  and  the  state  of  my 
health  required  me  to  avoid  them.  So  that  I  had 
never  heard  Mr  Moore  speak  at  Exeter  Hall,  or  at 
the  meetings  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, where  he  was  so  great  a  light. 

I  also  received  a  letter  from  Mrs  Moore  urging 
me  to  undertake  the  work.  After  some  consideration, 
I  declined  to  undertake  it.  My  reasons,  I  thought, 
were  sufficient.     I  did  not  know  enough  of  Mr  Moore 


324  THRIFT,  ETC. 

to  undertake  his  history ;  besides,  my  time  was 
already  occupied.  This,  however,  was  not  enough. 
More  pressure  was  put  upon  me.  Then  I  began  to 
make  inquiries  of  London  warehousemen  as  to  the 
character  and  history  of  George  Moore.  One  said 
that  nothing  could  be  made  out  of  his  Life,  for  that 
he  was  ''only  a  warehouseman."  Another,  who  did 
not  agree  with  his  religious  views,  said  he  was  "a 
humbug  " !  A  third,  a  dignified  gentleman,  who  had 
been  Lord  Mayor,  and  had  doubtless  been  ''deaved" 
by  George  Moore  for  contributions  towards  his 
charities,  said  '*he  was  a  most  obtrusive  and 
effusive  person  " ;  while  a  fourth,  who,  however,  was 
a  Cumberland  man,  said  *'he  was  the  noblest  man 
he  knew"!  Here  was  an  extraordinary  difference 
of  opinion  about  a  person  who  had  died  little  more 
than  a  year  before. 

Other  views  were  pressed  upon  me.  Dr  Percival, 
then  headmaster  of  Clifton  College,  and  afterwards 
President  of  Trinity  College,  Oxford,  gave  me  a 
very  strong  impression  of  the  life  and  character  of 
George  Moore.  Dr  Bell,  headmaster  of  Marlborough 
College,  also  spoke  of  him  in  glowing  terms.  The 
late  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  one  of  the  truest 
and  noblest  Christian  gentlemen  who  ever  lived,  had 
almost  a  reverence  for  George  Moore.  Although 
warehousemen,  even  to  each  other,  may  not  be 
perfect,  there  seemed  to  have  been  some  sterling 
human  merit  about  this  merchant  of  Bow  Church- 
yard, which  seemed  to  be  worthy  of  commemoration 
in  a  biography. 

Still,  I  could  not  quite  make  up  my  mind.  There 
was  the  poor  baker  of  Thurso  waiting.  Was  he  to 
be  abandoned  in  favour  of  the  warehouseman,  about 
whom  there  were  so  many  differences  of  opinion  ?     I 


1877]  GEOEGE  MOORE  325 

consented,  however,  to  go  down  to  Whitehall  to  look 
over  the  papers  and  correspondence.  After  that,  it 
might  be  thought,  I  was  committed.  Still  I  hesitated. 
I  thought  that  George  Moore  had  behaved  shabbily 
to  his  wife,  by  leaving  her  too  little  out  of  his  large 
fortune — less  favourably,  in  fact,  than  he  had  left 
his  first  wife  by  his  will.  Mrs  Moore  was,  however, 
most  loyal  to  her  departed  husband.  She  said  that 
he  had  never  read  his  will — that  his  solicitor  had 
misconceived  his  instructions — and  that,  whatever 
the  result  might  be,  all  his  intentions  were  for  the 
best.  There  must  have  been  a  really  fine  character 
in  the  man,  for  whom  his  wife — though  wronged  as 
I  thought — could  speak  so  feelingly  and  so  nobly. 

I  found  that  a  gentleman  who  knew  George 
Moore,  and  had  attended  his  prayer  meetings,  had 
written  a  memoir  of  him.  But  he  spoke  of  the 
deceased  merchant  as  of  "a  brand  plucked  from  the 
burning."  Mrs  Moore  did  not  like  the  memoir,  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  she  was  so  anxious  that  I 
should  take  up  the  subject.  Eventually  I  consented 
to  go  on  with  the  work.  I  put  a  good  deal  of  local 
colour  into  it,  and  made  it  illustrative  of  Cumberland 
as  well  as  of  London  life.  It  must  speak  for  itself 
It  was,  of  course,  republished  in  America,  though 
without  my  knowledge  or  consent.  But  when  foreign 
publishers  in  France,  Germany,  and  even  Italy, 
think  an  English  book  worthy  of  translation  into 
their  tongue,  I  think  it  is,  on  the  whole,  a  compliment 
to  the  author. 

With  this  exception,  I  have  always  selected  my 
own  subjects.  It  has  been  said  that  I  wrote  the 
lives  only  of  successful  men.  This  is,  of  course,  a 
mistake.  Robert  Dick  was  not  a  successful  man, 
for    he    died  not  worth  a   farthing — the  victim   of 


326  THRIFT,  ETC. 

disease  and  hard  work.  Thomas  Edward  was  not 
a  successful  man,  for  he  rarely  made  ten  shillings  a 
week  by  his  cobbling.  The  engineers  whose  lives 
I  wrote,  were  by  no  means  successful  men,  so  far 
as  accumulations  of  money  were  concerned.  Many 
brewers,  spirit  dealers,  and  grocers  die  far  richer. 
Brindley,  Smeaton,  Metcalfe,  Telford,  Rennie,  Watt, 
and  Stephenson,  were  men  of  moderate  means,  who 
lived  in  a  very  quiet  fashion ;  but,  as  Mr  Gladstone 
truly  says,  they  were  the  pioneers  of  British  civilisa- 
tion. 

I  have  indeed  written  more  about  the  history  of 
failure  than  of  success.  The  Htiguenots  in  England 
and  Ireland,  to  whose  history  I  devoted  a  good  deal 
of  time,  were  a  beaten  party.  They  sacrificed  every- 
thing— property,  money,  and  titles ;  though  they 
triumphed  in  character  and  principle.  The  Cami- 
sards  and  Vaudois,  to  whom  I  devoted  another  book, 
The  Huguenots  in  France,  were  thoroughly  beaten  by 
the  tyrants  who  governed  them.  One  of  my  early 
books  related  to  the  government  of  Ireland — one  of 
the  saddest  periods  in  history.  It  was  a  record  of  utter 
failure.  I  hope  there  is  nothing  improper  in  wishing 
for  the  Irish,  as  a  people,  a  larger  measure  of  success 
than  they  have  ever  yet  achieved. 

What  I  have  always  endeavoured  to  do,  was  to 
show  that  perseverance  and  courage  would,  in  the 
end,  lead  to  success  of  the  best  sort.  I  may  here 
mention  a  little  incident  in  the  life  of  George  Moore. 
At  one  of  the  school  examinations  in  Cumberland,  as 
was  his  wont,  he  gave  a  number  of  prizes.  On  this 
occasion.  Lord  Brougham,  who  was  present,  presented 
Self-TIelp  to  a  Wigton  boy,  named  Carruthers.  The 
boy  was  stimulated  to  exertion  by  what  he  read  in 
his  prize  book;  and  *'the  circumstance  exercised  an 


1878]      GEORGE  MOORE  PUBLISHED       327 

important  and  abiding-  influence  on  his  whole  life." 
He  was  ''encouraged  to  look  forward  to  a  sphere  of 
gfreater  usefulness  than  the  circumscribed  limits  of 
Wigton  could  afford."  This  is  the  description  given 
in  the  Life  of  Carrutkers,  by  Dr  Whitehead,  of  Man- 
chester. The  boy  served  an  apprenticeship  in  a 
chemist  shop ;  he  plodded  on,  until  he  became  a 
surgeon,  and  settled  at  Manchester.  After  thirteen 
years  of  successful  practice,  he  was  called  in  to  visit 
a  family  which  had  been  seriously  injured  by  the 
December  gale  of  1883.  While  attending  to  their 
wounds,  a  further  portion  of  the  building-  fell  in,  and 
broke  the  young  surgeon's  legs.  He  was  fatally 
injured ;  and  while  lying  on  his  deathbed,  he  was 
troubled  principally  by  the  thought  that  his  wife  and 
children  would  be  left  without  provision.  It  was  to 
appeal  for  help  that  Dr  Whitehead  published  the 
brief  memoir  of  his  life. 

The  Life  of  George  Moore  appeared  in  May 
1878;  that  of  Robert  Dick,  with  its  many  illustra- 
tions, six  months  later.  As  with  the  men,  so  with 
their  lives.  The  one  succeeded,  the  other  did  not. 
George  Moore  went  through  many  editions ;  Robert 
Dick  did  not  go  through  one.  The  multitude  evi- 
dently like  successful  men.  What  is  the  use  of 
reading  about  men  who  have  failed  ?  Perhaps  if  I 
had  written  about  millionaires,  I  might  have  been 
more  successful  myself  Books,  however,  are  always 
a  lottery ;  and  no  one  is  better  aware  of  this 
than  I  am.  The  best  course  is,  to  write  full-hearted, 
and  make  the  most  you  can  out  of  your  subject ;  and 
this  is  the  method  I  always  adopted,  whether  the 
result  was  likely  to  be  successful  or  not. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


VISIT  TO   ITALY  * 


I  HAD  twice  before  visited  Italy;  once,  while  I  was 
with  the  South-Eastern  Railway,  and  took  a  longfer 
holiday  than  usual.  I  went  then,  with  my  wife,  my 
eldest  daugfhter,  and  a  friend,  through  Switzerland, 
over  the  Spliigen  Pass,  to  Milan,  then  on  through 
Lombardy  to  Venice  ;  and  home  by  the  Brenner  Pass, 
Innsbruck,  Munich,  and  down  the  Rhine.  The  tour 
occupied  only  three  weeks  in  all.  The  other  visit  I 
paid,  and  it  was  only  through  a  corner  of  Italy,  was 
when  I  accompanied  my  friend  Mr  Milsom  in  his 
visits  to  the  Vaudois  pastors  in  the  remote  parts  of 
Dauphiny.  This  journey  was  made  mostly  on  foot. 
We  walked  (for  there  was  no  carriage  road)  from 
Abries  on  the  verge  of  France,  over  the  Cottian  Alps 
to  the  Bergerie  of  Pra,  then  down  the  valley  of  the 
Pellice  as  far  as  La  Tour,  a  journey^of  some  26  miles. 
From  La  Tour,  we  visited  the  scenes  in  the  valley  of 
Angrogna,  made  memorable  by  the  hard  struggle  of 
the  Vaudois  in  ancient   times  for  life  and  liberty. 

■*  It  has  not  been  thought  necessary  to  print  in  full  Dr  Smiles' 
account  of  his  journey  through  a  country  well  known  to  the  British 
tourist.  Descriptions,  often  interesting  and  vivid,  of  places  have  been 
omitted.  It  seemed  sufficient  to  chronicle  one  or  two  slight  incidents 
of  travel,  as  characteristic  of  the  man  and  his  way  of  looking  at 
life.—ED. 


1879]  ITALY  329 

This  I  have  elsewhere  fully  described.*  I  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Turin,  and  went  up  the  valley  of  Aosta, 
and  over  the  Great  St  Bernard  to  Martigny ;  from 
whence  I  proceeded  rapidly  homeward,  by  way  of 
Lucerne,  Neufchatel,  Dijon,  and  Paris.  Now,  how- 
ever, as  I  was  free  from  all  office  duties,  I  could 
take  my  own  time,  and  proceed  leisurely  to  Florence, 
Rome,  and  Naples,  which  I  had  an  anxious  desire  to 
see.  In  the  Preface  to  the  translation  of  Character 
into  Italian,  which  I  wrote  at  the  instance  of  my 
friend  M.  Barbera,  the  Florence  publisher,  I  stated 
that  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  visit  these  great  cities 
before  the  termination  of  my  brief  pilgrimag^e  on 
earth. 

I  set  out,  with  my  wife,  for  Paris,  on  the  20th 
February  1879.  Two  days  later,  we  reached  Nice, 
then  in  the  throes  of  its  Carnival.  People  had 
assembled  from  all  quarters  to  see  the  show — the 
mummeries,  the  processions,  the  cavalcades — as  well 
as  each  other.  It  was  not  possible  to  pass  along-  the 
streets  without  being  pelted  with  confetti — which  did 
not  consist  of  confetti,  but  of  hard  lime  pills.  There 
was  not  much  fun  in  this,  but  the  people  seemed  to 
expect  it ;  and  young  people  were  arranged  on 
platforms  or  at  windows  along  the  streets  to  pelt  the 
passers-by.  The  prettiest  day  was  the  day  of 
flowers,  when  carriages  drove  through  the  streets,  and 
especially  along  the  Promenade  des  Anglais,  covered 
with  the  most  exquisite  produce  of  the  garden.  The 
carriage  people  pelted  each  other  with  flowers,  and 
this  was  by  no  means  disagreeable. 

More  pleasant,  however,   was  the  visit  which  I 
paid    to    Mrs    Evans  (wife  of   Colonel   Evans)  at 

*  The  Huguenots  in  France^  after  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes. 


330  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

Cimiez,  near  Nice.  This  gfood,  benevolent  lady,  had 
been  greatly  pleased  with  the  Life  of  the  Scotch 
Naturalist,  and  was  kind  enough  to  send  a  remit- 
tance of  ten  pounds  yearly  to  Thomas  Edward. 


There  happened  to  be  with  us  in  the  railway 
carriage  as  we  went  to  Naples,  a  gentleman,  who,  if 
he  had  his  way,  would  make  quiet  living  in  Italy  as 
impossible  as  ever.  He  was  one  of  the  Italia 
Irredenta  Party,  and  had  been  at  Milan,  taking 
part  in  a  public  demonstration.  He  had  a  number 
of  flags  with  him,  which  he  unrolled,  and  exhibited 
the  vehement  sentiments  inscribed  upon  them  in 
glaring  colours.  He  claimed  for  Italy,  not  only  Nice 
and  the  Italian  possessions  of  France,  but  the  Valais, 
Ticino,  and  Valtellina,  the  Italian-speaking  republican 
cantons  of  Switzerland,  and  all  the  shore  part  of 
Austria  as  far  as  Pola,  Fiume,  and  even  Ragusa.  In 
fact,  there  was  no  limit  to  his  demands.  It  was  of  no 
use  saying  to  him,  that  in  carrying  out  his  theory,  he 
would  set  all  Europe  by  the  ears.  Why  not  develop, 
by  industry,  the  country  that  Victor  Emmanuel, 
Cavour,  and  Garibaldi  had  already  won?  ''No! 
no!"  he  said,  ''we  must  have  our  own — all  that 
speak  our  noble  language."  One  of  the  effects  of 
the  Italia  Irredenta  scheme  of  governing  people 
according  to  the  language  they  speak,  would  be  to 
divide  Switzerland  into  three  divisions — and  hand 
over  one  part  to  France,  another  part  to  Germany, 
and  the  rest  to  Italy.  The  Swiss  are  certainly  much 
safer  remaining  as  they  are,  and  governing  them- 
selves in  their  own  manner  by  their  perfectly  free 
institutions. 


1879]         ME  WARRINGTON  WOOD  331 

In  Rome,  among  my  various  visits,  I  went  to  see 
that  excellent  artist  and  sculptor,   Mr  Warrington 
Wood.     He  has  a  beautiful  residence  and  studio  at 
the  Villa  Campagna,  close  to  the  church  of  St  John, 
Lateran.    It  happened  to  be  his  afternoon  for  receiv- 
ing company.    There  were  many  ladies  and  gentlemen 
present.     Among  others  was  Mr  Adolphus  TroUope. 
Mr  Wood  received  me  with  great  effusion.     After 
some  conversation,  he  turned  to  Mr  Trollope  and 
said,  "Ought  I  to  tell  Mr  Smiles  of  how  I  happen 
to  be  here  ?  "     "  Oh,  by  all  means,"  said  Mr  Trollope, 
"he  says  it  is  all  through  you."     "  How  is  that?"  I 
asked.     "Well,"  said   Mr  Wood,   "I  will  tell  you. 
When  I  was  a  very  young  man — it  must  be  now  some 
eighteen  or  twenty  years  ago — I  read  your  Self- Help. 
I  sat  up  nearly  all  night  to  read  it.     I  was  inspired 
by  the  example  of  Flaxman,  who,   notwithstanding 
every  difficulty,  would  go  to  Rome.     When  I  went 
to  bed,  the  thought  of  his  determination  pursued  me  : 
if  he  could  do  it,  why  should  not  I  }     Unlike  him,  I 
was  comparatively  free  and  unfettered.     It  is  true,  I 
was  poor ;  for  I  was  only  a  working  mason.     Before 
moving,  I   had  made  up  my  mind  to  go  to  Rome 
too.     I  wished  to  be  a  sculptor.     I  had  done  a  few 
little  things,  tried  to  do  more,  and  struggled  hard 
for  improvement.    At  length  I  saved  about  a  hundred 
pounds.     When  I  told  my  friends  of  my  intentions, 
they  opposed  me  all  that  they  could.     I  was  getting 
on  :  I  would  yet  succeed  as  an  architect.     It  was  of 
no  use.      I  pursued  my  determination.     I  came  to 
Rome,  and  now  (pointing  to  his  works  round  the 
studio)  you  see  what  I  am."    Among  other  things, 
which  he  mentioned  with  gratitude,  was  the  kindness 
of  Gibson,   the  sculptor.      "When  I  first  came  to 
Rome,"  he  said,  "  I  went  to  Gibson,  and  asked  him  to 


332  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

recommend  me  to  some  working  sculptor.  He  asked 
for  my  drawings  and  works,  to  see  what  I  could  do. 
"  No !  no !  "  he  said,  when  he  had  seen  them,  "  do  not 
go  into  any  one's  service.  Take  a  place  for  yourself, 
no  matter  how  humble ;  work  for  yourself,  and 
cultivate  orig-inality."  I  took  his  kindly  advice;  and 
went  on  from  one  thing  to  another ;  and  now,  he 
concluded,  "here  I  am,  with  my  works  around  me. 
Such  as  they  are,  they  are  my  own."  It  was 
exceedingly  pleasant  to  myself  to  listen  to  those 
delightful  recollections. 

Another  visit  that  I  paid  was  to  Rossetti's  studio. 
Signor  Rossetti  had  executed  a  statue  of  Self-Help — 
a  girl — seated,  with  a  book  upon  her  knee,  diligently 
perusing  it.  The  work  was  considered  very  suc- 
cessful, and  Rossetti  had  executed  three  replicas 
of  it  for  England.  The  sculptor  was  very  much 
moved  and  excited  when  I  visited  him ;  although 
I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  I  could  not  exchange 
an  intelligible  word  with  him.  His  assistant 
Ceccarini,  however,  who  had  lived  for  a  time  in 
Belfast,  acted  as  our  interpreter.  On  parting, 
Rossetti  pressed  my  hand  with  emotion  to  his  beard, 
and  asked  me  to  do  him  the  honour  of  sitting  to  him 
for  my  bust.  I  accordingly  returned  more  than  once, 
and  Rossetti  executed  an  admirable  model  of  me  in 
clay,  and  afterwards  one  in  marble,  very  much  to  his 
own  delight,  and  to  my  satisfaction. 

During  my  visits  to  Rossetti's  studio,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  Signor 
Cairoli,  then  the  Italian  Prime  Minister.  Rossetti 
was  executing  a  little  memorial  in  marble,  to  be 
placed  over  the  tomb  of  his  infant  daughter  who  had 
lately  died.  Signor  Cairoli  kindly  invited  me  to 
visit  him  at  his  house,  and  to  see  the  Signora,  who 


1879]  GARIBALDI  333 

was  a  great  admirer  of  my  works.  She  had  even 
translated  one  of  them.  I  found  the  Signora  a  most 
estimable  and  intelligent  lady ;  and  as  she  spoke 
English  admirably,  I  felt  at  once  quite  at  home. 
I  may  mention  that  Signor  Cairoli  still  had  his 
arm  in  a  sling — the  one  that  had  been  wounded 
while  defending  the  king  from  the  attack  of  an 
assassin  in  the  streets  of  Naples. 

It  happened  that,  during  my  visit  to  Rome, 
General  Garibaldi  paid  one  of  his  last  visits  to  the 
city,  for  the  purpose  of  having  an  interview  with  the 
young  king.  The  general,  though  not  very  old, 
was  so  crippled  with  rheumatism  that  he  could  not 
stand,  and  his  right  hand,  which  had  so  often  wielded 
the  sword,  was  shrunk  up  almost  into  a  knot,  and 
could  not  be  opened  out.  On  hearing  of  my  being 
in  Rome,  he  sent  a  message  to  me  through  Signor 
Rossetti,  informing  me  that  he  would  be  glad  to 
receive  me  at  the  house  of  his  son  Menotti,  who 
lived,  with  his  wife  and  family,  at  No.  6  Via 
Vittoria.  I  accordingly  proceeded  thither  about 
mid-day,  on  the  loth  of  April,  1879.  The  house 
was  on  the  second  floor,  and  it  was  a  very  humble 
dwelling.  There  were  present.  Colonel  Canzio,  the 
general's  son-in-law,  Colonel  Forbes,  and  Signor 
Rossetti. 

The  old  man  was  still  dressed  in  his  red  shirt,  and 
lay  on  his  bed  almost  helpless.  He  could  barely 
shake  hands  with  me — ^^his  arm  was  so  shrunk  and 
weak.  But  his  eyes  lightened  up  when  he  began  to 
speak  of  the  goodness  of  the  English  people  to  him. 
''The  English,"  he  said,  ''have  helped  me  in  every 
way.  They  have  been  so  good  to  me  that  I  can 
never  forget  them.  But  they  shake  one's  hands  very 
much.     They  shake  hands  from   the  heart.     What 


334  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

a  day  that  was  at  Trafalgar  Square,  when  I  passed 
through  the  tens  of  thousands  of  your  people.  And 
then  I  went  to  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  who  is  such 
a  humane  man." 

He  went  on  to  speak  to  his  friends  by  the  bedside 
of  his  escape  from  Rome  in  1849:  how,  after  hard 
fighting-  with  the  French  under  Oudinot,  Rome  was 
forced  to  surrender,  and  he  made  for  the  coast  of  the 
Adriatic  with  his  followers,  his  dear  wife  Anita 
accompanying  them.  *' We  put  to  sea,"  he  said,  '*in 
thirteen  fishing-boats ;  it  was  a  dark  stormy  night 
when  we  started.  But  the  clouds  at  length  dispersed, 
and  the  moon  shone  forth.  An  Austrian  corvette 
hovering  about  was  directly  upon  us ;  and  as  our 
little  squadron  of  boats  scattered  and  took  to  flight, 
the  Austrians  fired  in  all  directions ;  backed,  and 
fired  again  and  again.  They  captured  nine  of  the 
boats  with  their  crews  ;  but  the  boat  in  which  I  was, 
with  Anita,  and  the  three  other  boats,  escaped.  We 
landed  on  the  Italian  coast,  near  Ravenna,  and  fled 
into  the  country.  But  the  Austrians  were  at  our 
heels.  We  scattered  and  hid  ourselves  as  we  could. 
Anita  and  I  took  refuge  among  some  standing  corn 
by  the  roadside.  The  Austrians,  however,  took  some 
of  my  friends  prisoners.  They  shot  nine  of  them  at 
Ca  Tiepolo,  and  buried  them  where  they  fell. 
Among  these  was  the  gallant  Ciceruacchio  —  the 
dear  fellow ! " 

The  general  shed  tears,  and  pointed  to  the  photo- 
graph of  Ciceruacchio's  statue  hung  up  against  the 
wall.  Angelo  Brunetti  was  his  real  name.  He  was 
only  a  woodcutter,  and  dealt  in  wine  and  forage,  but 
he  was  a  true  patriot  and  lover  of  the  people.  Not 
only  so ;  he  was  a  man  gifted  with  extraordinary 
powers  of  eloquence ;  and  when  Garibaldi  appeared 


1879]  INTERVIEWERS  335 

in  Rome,  he  donned  the  red  shirt,  and  became  one  of 
his  most  enthusiastic  followers.  He  was  with  him  all 
througfh  the  siege  of  Rome  by  the  French,  and  con- 
ducted himself  with  great  bravery.  Years  after  the 
violent  death  of  Ciceruacchio  at  Ca  Tiepolo,  with  his 
son,  who  was  only  thirteen  years  old — and  after  Italy 
had  become  free,  the  Italians  had  the  ashes  dug-  up, 
with  some  medals  and  fragments  of  red  shirts  and 
handkerchiefs,  and  removed  them  to  Rome  for  inter- 
ment. It  was  proposed  to  erect  a  statue  of  the 
People's  Tribune,  and  Rossetti  had  executed  a 
spirited  model ;  and  it  was  to  the  photograph  of  this 
design  that  Garibaldi  pointed  with  tears.  But 
whether  anything  has  yet  been  done  to  erect  the 
statue,   I  do  not  know. 

The  visit  which  I  paid  to  Garibaldi  was  made  the 
subject  of  reports  in  the  newspapers ;  for  the  press  in 
Italy  is  becoming  as  ubiquitous  as  it  is  in  England. 
I  quote  from  one  of  the  reports,  in  which  I  am 
described  as  an  ''old  man."  I  had  never  before 
thought  of  myself  as  "old,"  though,  taking  my  years 
into  account,  it  must  be  true.  The  reporter  must 
have  been  present  at  the  interview,  but  I  do  not  know 
who  he  was. 

"I  think  I  told  you,"  says  the  writer,  "that 
Samuel  Smiles  was  here.  The  papers  are  busy  with 
him  as  they  were  with  Garibaldi  during  the  first  days 
of  his  visit.^  He  is  here  with  his  wife,  and  is  profiting 
by  his  visit,  taking  notes  for  his  new  work,  which 
is  to  be  called  Duty.  He  has  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Queen,  who  has  quite  fascinated  him,  as  she  indeed 
fascinates  all  who  approach  her.  He  has  been  to  see 
Garibaldi,  and  is  having  a  bust  made  by  Rossetti. 
He  is  very  much  pleased,  it  seems,  to  find  that  he  has 
inspired  more  than  one  sculptor  with  models  taken 
from  his  works.  He  is  a  fine-looking  old  man,  with 
silvery  whiskers  encircling  a  kind  and  genial  face. 


836  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

His  interview  with  Garibaldi  was  particularly  impres- 
sive. You  will  read  a  full  account  of  it  one  day,  for 
he  intends  to  write  it  himself,  and  in  his  own  particu- 
larly happy  style.  Garibaldi,  as  a,  witness  of  the 
interview  told  me,  was  quite  expansive,  and  seemed 
quite  electrified  when  he  heard  Smiles's  name.  He 
spoke  of  his  past,  and  described  in  powerful  tones  the 
terrible  days  of  his  early  life.  He  spoke  of  his  never- 
forgfotten  Anita  ;  and  he  depicted  vividly  the  scenes 
of  his  pursuit  by  the  Austrians.  Those  who  heard 
him  felt  the  blood  freeze  in  their  veins.  Even  those 
who  did  not  understand  English,  caught  the  impres- 
sion from  others,  and  saw  from  the  listeners  that  an 
extraordinary  conversation  was  being  carried  on  by 
these  two  men.     Smiles  will  never  forget  Garibaldi." 

I  suppose  it  was  from  the  reports  which  appeared 
in  the  Roman  newspapers  of  my  presence  in  Rome, 
or  perhaps  from  some  conversation  with  Signor 
Cairoli,  the  Prime  Minister,  that  I  received  a  com- 
munication from  the  Palace  of  the  Quirinale,  intimat- 
ing that  Her  Majesty  Queen  Margherita  was 
desirous  of  an  interview  with  me,  being  an  admirer  of 
my  works.  I  felt  this  to  be  a  great  honour,  and  paid 
my  visit  accordingly.  It  was  quite  private,  and  I  saw 
only  the  Queen  herself.  As  the  reporter  has  stated,  I 
was  quite  fascinated  by  Her  Majesty.  I  admired  her 
grace,  her  manner,  and  her  intellect.  I  need  not 
speak  of  her  beauty.  But  she  is  a  true  Queen,  if  it 
be  one  of  the  functions  of  a  Queen  to  excite  admira- 
tion and  enthusiasm,  and  make  her  subjects  in  love 
with  the  institution  of  monarchy,  of  which  she  is  the 
fairest  outcome. 

I  had  seen  Her  Majesty  before  in  the  streets  of 
Rome,  where  she  was  followed  by  admiring  eyes. 
For  the  Queen  rides  about  a  great  deal,  takes  part  in 
the  philanthropic  work  of  the  city,  and  is  never  want- 
ing when  Royal  help  is  necessary.     She  visits  the 


1879]  QUEEN  MAEGHEEITA  337 

poor  schools  and  hospitals,  attends  public  lectures, 
and  is  often  seen  with  her  young-  prince,  on  the  Pincio 
or  at  the  Villa  Borg-hese. 

Queen  Margherita  is  charming  not  only  as  a 
queen,  but  as  a  woman.  She  embodies  Words- 
worth's description  of — 

"  The  perfect  woman,  nobly  planned." 

I  found  her  simple,  gracious,  dignified,  and  yet 
thoroughly  simpatica.  She  conversed  with  me  freely, 
without  the  slightest  assumption  of  patronage — spoke 
about  English  Literature,  and  told  me  of  her 
favourite  authors.  I  may  mention  that  Her  Majesty 
speaks  English  perfectly,  as  well  as  most  other 
European  languages.  I  saw  the  Nineteenth  Century 
on  her  table.  She  liked  the  tolerant  Catholicity  of 
England,  where  Cardinal  Manning  and  Positivist 
Harrison  can  meet  in  the  same  columns — state  their 
thoughts,  and  argue  out  their  views  without  let  or 
hindrance. 

She  turned  the  conversation  to  literature  g-enerally. 
German  novels  she  thought  ''flat";  French  were 
naughty ;  and  English  novels  were,  of  all  others,  her 
favourites.  Of  past  writers,  Scott  was  the  greatest : 
then  Thackeray.  And  of  the  living,  she  preferred 
the  works  of  Hardy,  Blackmore,  and  Black.  She 
spoke  with  emotion  of  the  Princess  of  Thule, 
Although  she  greatly  admired  Tennyson,  her  most 
favourite  poet  was  the  late  Mrs  Barrett  Browning. 
She  was  an  immense  admirer  of  the  historical  works 
of  Lecky. 

As  I  conversed  with  the  Queen,  who  sat  close  to 
me,  and  before  me,  my  eyes  commanded  a  view  of  the 
spires,  and  towers,  and  domes  of  Rome,  with  St 
Peter's  in  the  distance.     Her  sitting-room  isfbeauti- 

Y 


338  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

fully  situated  in  an  angle  of  the  palace,  and  the 
windows  look  down  upon  the  ancient  parts  of  Rome, 
over  to  the  Palace  of  the  Caesars.  But  the  interest 
of  the  conversation  prevented  my  taking-  note  of  what 
was  to  be  seen  outside.  After  about  an  hour,  I 
kissed  Her  Majesty's  hand,  and  left  the  palace 
delighted  with  my  interview,  not  less  pleased  with 
the  Queen's  high-bred  tact  and  graciousness  of 
manner,  than  with  her  goodness,  sweetness,  and 
intelligent  conversation.  And  thus  ended  my  first 
and  last  interview  with  Royalty. 

I  had  now  many  callers,  letters,  and  invitations. 
I  was  desired  to  visit  the  schools  and  public  buildings 
of  Rome  by  persons  of  distinction.  But  I  had  no 
wish  to  become  a  **lion" ;  and  I  thought  it  better  to 
avoid  further  excitement,  and  leave  Rome  as  soon 
as  possible.  I  give  only  one  of  the  letters  which  I 
received,  from  a  very  humble  person ;  and  I  select  it 
as  being  one  of  the  shortest. 

'*  Pregiatissimo  Signore, — 

''Unpovero  giovane  di  Corinaldo  (Pro- 
vincia  d'Ancona)  orfano  sin  dall'  infanzia,  di  profes- 
sione  domestico,  deve  alia  lettura  dei  di  Lei  scritti  se 
ha  potesto  realizzare  qualche  risparmio,  per  il  quale 
spera  meno  incerto  il  suo  avvenire.  Memore  del  suo 
benefattore,  verso  cui  nutre  sensi  di  profonda 
venerazione,  gli  invia  un  osseguioso  saluto  che  ha 
feducia  non  verra  disdegnato. — Mi  creda,  devotissimo 
servo, 

"Valeric  Valeri." 

Before  leaving  Rome,  however,  I  had  the  honour 
and  pleasure  of  calling  upon  Augusto  Castellani,  the 
distinguished  antiquarian  and  goldsmith.  I  found 
him  in  his  place  of  business,  close  by  the  Fountain  of 
Trevi.      He  received  us  most    kindly,   and  opened 


1879]  SIGNOR  CASTELLANI  339 

up  to  us  his  immense  stores  of  antiquarian  art  and 
knowledge.  We  were  careful  not  to  enter  upon 
matters  of  business.  If  we  had  asked  the  price  of 
an  article,  he  would  have  shut  up  at  once  ;  it  was  art, 
and  art  only,  that  took  us  there ;  and  our  conversa- 
tion was  entirely  confined  to  that  subject. 

Sig-nor  Castellani  took  us  upstairs  and  showed  us 
all  over  his  treasures.  He  entered  with  enthusiasm 
into  a  description  of  the  most  precious.  This 
Etruscan  jewel  had  been  dug  up  in  the  Campagna, 
that  in  a  village  among  the  Apennines,  and  that 
Greek  bronze  near  the  villa  of  Hadrian.  He  told 
us  how  he  had  transported  to  Rome  some  local 
goldsmiths  from  a  remote  part  of  Italy,  who  had 
preserved,  in  what  seemed  to  be  an  unbroken  tradi- 
tion, the  art  of  fabricating  granulated  gold  jewellery 
after  the  manner  of  the  Etruscans.  In  the  course  of 
conversation  he  gave  us  his  ideas  as  to  the  races 
of  men  who  had  from  time  to  time  imported  their 
art  into  Italy — the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  and  the 
Etruscans,  who  were  the  oldest  and  best  of  all. 

Signor  Castellani  was  anything  but  a  tradesman. 
He  was  a  historian,  an  antiquarian,  and  a  philo- 
sopher, though  with  these  accomplishments  he 
combined  the  shrewdness  of  a  business  man.  But 
his  talk  was  never  of  orders,  never  of  trade.  Like 
many  of  his  spirited  countrymen,  he  was  an  ardent  poli- 
tician ;  and  took  pride  in  the  renewed  freedom  of  Italy. 
His  conversation  was  immensely  fascinating,  and  he 
kept  us  until  long  after  the  time  when  he  should  have 
left  his  place  of  business.  At  parting,  he  presented 
me  with  his  "  Delia  Orificeria  Italiana,  Discorso  di 
Augusto  Castellani,"  which  I  greatly  treasure. 

At  last,  with  many  regrets,  I  left  Rome.  The 
evening  before,    I   wjsnt  down   to   the   Fountain  of 


340  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

Trevi  by  moonlight,  and  drank  of  the  waters ;  as 
they  say  one  who  does  that  is  sure  to  return.  But 
I  have  never  returned,  and  there  is  no  probability,  at 
my  time  of  life,  that  I  will  ever  do  so.  We  left  the 
station,  laden  with  flowers,  presented  to  us  by  many 
of  our  kind  Roman  friends. 


I  spent  some  time  in  Florence,  inspecting-  the 
pictures  and  the  churches,  but  to  my  mind,  the  most 
interesting  of  all  the  buildings  connected  with  the 
Church,  is  the  Convent  of  San  Marco ;  for  there  the 
great  patriot  and  martyr  Savonarola  nursed  his 
heart  and  mind,  and  prepared  to  give  up  his  life  for 
his  country  and  his  religion.  It  is  not  to  be  com- 
pared in  magnitude  or  splendour  with  the  great 
ecclesiastical  buildings  of  Florence.  But  it  will  be 
remembered  when  they  are  forgotten.  You  see 
there  the  cells  of  Fra  Angelico  and  Fra  Bartolomeo, 
who  were  disciples  of  Savonarola ;  and  pass  on  to 
the  cell  of  the  patriot  martyr  himself.  There  is  the 
little  Bible  from  which  he  read  and  preached  in 
the  pulpit  of  the  Duomo,  his  portrait  and  bust,  his 
manuscripts  and  devotional  emblems,  and  other 
interesting  memorials.  You  are  taken  to  the  Hall, 
where  Savonarola  was  engaged  in  prayer  and  exhor- 
tation when  the  people  broke  in,  thirsting  for  his 
blood.  He  was  taken  away,  and  you  may  follow 
his  march,  amidst  a  shouting  crowd,  down  the  Via 
Ricasoli,  past  the  Duomo — where  he  had  so  often 
bravely  struggled  for  religion  and  liberty — and  down 
the  Via  Calzauoli,  where  he  was  eventually  strangled 
and  burnt.  But  I  have  already  described  his  life 
and  fate,  and  need  not  repeat  my  description  here.* 

*  In  Duty^  pp.  132-154. 


1879]  FLORENCE  341 

The  nelgrhbourhood  of  Florence  is  also  full  of 
interest — the  summit  of  the  Piazza  of  Michael  Angelo, 
from  which  you  see  the  whole  of  the  city  lying-  sleep- 
ing- at  your  feet — Fiesole,  still  further  away,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Arno,  where  (besides  the  lovely 
drive)  one  may  see  the  prodigious  remnants  of  the 
Etruscan  architects ;  but  my  favourite  visit  was  to 
the  Villa  Coregfg-i,  where  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent 
breathed  his  last,  shortly  after  his  memorable  inter- 
view with  Savonarola.  The  place  lies  in  the  wide 
valley  of  the  Arno,  about  three  miles  to  the  north-east 
of  Florence.  Spring  was  at  its  height,  and  in  the 
gardens  the  nightingale  was  singing  loudly,  even  at 
midday.  We  were  taken  to  the  room  where  Lorenzo 
died.  From  the  windows  we  saw  the  top  of  the 
Duomo  and  the  Campanile,  and  the  spires  of  the 
many  churches  in  Florence,  rising  above  the 
trees ;  while  towards  the  north  were  the  heights 
of  Fiesole  and  the  soft  outlines  of  the  Tuscan 
hills  in  the  distance.  The  room  contains  a  picture 
of  Savonarola  exhorting  the  sovereign.  Lorenzo  is 
represented  as  in  the  agonies  of  death — his  hand 
clutching  his  bed-sheet.  The  picture  is  perhaps 
too  terrible  for  the  place;  but  it  is  very  char- 
acteristic. 

Before  concluding  this  short  account  of  my  visit 
to  Florence,  let  me  add  a  short  statement  of  personal 
interest  to  myself;  illustrating  also  the  peculiar 
kindness  of  my  Italian  friends  and  well-wishers. 
Signora  Giglioli,  a  lady  of  literary  eminence  in 
Florence,  called  upon  me  shortly  after  my  arrival. 
I  was  not  at  the  hotel  when  she  called,  but  she  left 
her  card,  on  which  was  written — **  I  do  not  think  you 
can  realise  with  what  feeling  of  deep  gratitude  every 
Italian  who  has  read  Self -Help  and  Character  thinks 


342  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

of  you.  Books  like  these  were  so  much  wanted 
among-  us." 

I  had  the  pleasure  afterwards  of  seeing  the  lady, 
and  making  her  friendship.  I  was  introduced  to  her 
husband,  a  professor  in  the  School  of  Medicine, 
who,  by  the  way,  was  a  pupil  of  our  own  Dr  Huxley 
of  London.  They  furnished  me  with  an  introduction 
to  Professor  Mantegazza,  the  author  of  some  works 
of  great  popular  interest.  He  showed  me  over  the 
fine  collection  of  skulls  in  his  museum  —  among 
others,  the  skulls  of  the  Etruscans  —  which  were 
beautifully  formed,  though  small  and  round  [Bracky- 
cephali,  or  broad  skulls),  evidently  showing  a 
connection  with  the  Greeks. 

The  professor,  like  myself,  was  interested  in  the 
subject  of  race,  and  was  about  to  make  a  journey 
into  Finland,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  Finns,  and 
making  photographs  of  the  people.  He  was  trying 
his  hand  with  the  apparatus,  and  made  a  photograph 
of  me,  which,  as  some  of  my  friends  tell  me,  is 
''villainously  like."  The  professor,  like  most  of  his 
fellow-countrymen,  was  pleasant,  agreeable,  and  full 
of  intelligent  conversation. 

I  had  afterwards  the  pleasure  of  being  introduced 
to  Pasquale  Villari,  the  author  of  the  well-known  Life 
of  Savonarola  and  Niccolo  Machiavelli  and  his  Times, 
as  well  as  to  his  charming  wife,  Linda  Villari, 
daughter  of  an  old  friend  of  mine,  Mr  White,  formerly 
Member  for  Brighton— showing  again  how  small  the 
world  really  is.  At  Baron  French's,  I  met  some 
peculiarly  interesting  people — the  great  Greek  scholar, 
Marchese  Ricci,  Gaetano  Camerota  of  the  Educa- 
tional Department,  Professor  Eccher ;  and  last,  not 
least,  the  Misses  Horner,  daughters  of  the  late 
Leonard    Horner  of  Edinburgh. 


1879]  A  PRESENTATION  343 

On  the  27th  of  April,  the  Rev.  Mr  Macdougall, 
who  knows  everything  that  is  going-  on  about  Flor- 
ence, sent  me  a  note  intimating  that  he  had  a  very- 
gratifying  piece  of  news  to  communicate  to  me, 
namely,  that  a  presentation  was  to  be  offered  to  me 
by  a  number  of  Italian  friends  who  greatly  appre- 
ciated my  works.  This  was  a  thing  altogether  un- 
expected ;  for  the  kindness  I  had  already  received  was 
ample  enough  reward. 

But  the  presentation  was  made.  It  consisted  of  a 
handsome  album,  its  cover  inlaid  with  beautiful 
Florentine  work,  and  on  its  front  were  these  words : — 

"Al  Dottore  Samuele  Smiles. 

"Alcuni  tra  i  molti  che  in  Italia  sentono  la  gratitudine  pel  bene 
fatto  dai  suoi  libri. 

"FiRENZE,  28  Aprile  1879." 

To  this  interesting  inscription  were  affixed  the 
signatures  of  Villari,  Mantegazza,  Giglioli,  Barbera, 
Baron  F.  Reichlin,  De  Gubernatis,  and  fifteen  more 
notable  Italians.  It  seemed  as  if  I  must  cross  the 
Alps  and  come  a  long  way  from  home,  to  have  my 
small  services  in  literature  recognised.  It  was  indeed 
a  most  kindly  and  generous  act,  for  which  I  shall 
never  cease  to  be  grateful. 

I  placed  in  my  album  photographs  of  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Italy,  of  Garibaldi  (which  he  signed 
with  his  crumpled  hand  and  presented  to  me),  of 
Signora  Giglioli  and  her  husband,  of  Cairoli,  and  my 
other  honoured  friends  and  well-wishers ;  and  the 
book  shall  go  down  to  my  descendants  as  an  heir- 
loom. 

I  left  Florence,  and  went  on  to  Bologna  by 
the  route  along  which  Savonarola  came  on  his 
first  journey  southward.      The  country    was    little 


344  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

changed.  The  houses  were  all  old,  and  the 
Apennines  were  the  same  as  ever.  I  took  sketches 
as  I  went  along*,  though  we  were  annoyed  by  some 
English  'Vampires,"  who  got  into  our  carriage. 
But  that  need  not  be  dwelt  upon. 


One  of  the  most  interesting  things  in  Bologna  was 
the  University,  where  we  found  that  female  professors 
had  been  ornaments  of  learning,  almost  from  time 
immemorial.  For  instance,  there  was  Signora 
Calderini,  Professor  of  Jurisprudence  in  1360,  more 
than  five  hundred  years  ago ;  and  at  a  later  date, 
there  was  Laura  Passi,  whose  brows  are  represented 
surmounted  with  laurel,  Professor  of  Philosophy ; 
Tambroni,  Professor  of  Greek,  and  Manzolini,  Pro- 
fessor of  Anatomy — all  learned  and  celebrated  women. 
I  brought  away  a  collection  of  the  photographs  of 
these  illustrious  celebrities.  So  that  what  we  are 
now  working  for — the  emancipation  and  intellectual 
improvement  of  women — was  effected  by  the  Bolog- 
nese  in  the  days  of  their  g-reatest  liberty.  Their 
ancient  motto  still  continues  to  be  ''Libertas." 

After  a  visit  to  Padua — where  women  were  also 
celebrated  for  their  learning  in  olden  times ;  and  a 
second  visit  to  Venice — always  full  of  interest ;  we 
went  on  to  Verona,  Milan,  Bellaggio  on  Lake  Como  ; 
then  across  the  country  to  Stresa  on  Lago  Maggiore  : 
and  after  a  few  days  there,  home  to  London  by  Turin 
and  Paris.  Our  entire  journey  occupied  a  little  over 
three  months. 

I  cannot,  however,  refrain  from  mentioning  the 
honour  which  I  received  a  year  later  from  His 
Majesty  the  King  of  Italy,  who  conferred  upon 
me    the  rank   of  Chevalier  of   the    Order    of   SS. 


1880]  A  DECORATION  345 

Maurice  and  Lazare.  This  was  done  in  the  kindest 
and  most  complimentary  manner  through  his 
Minister  in  this  country,  His  Excellency  Count 
Menabrea,  a  gentleman  of  great  distinction,  well 
worthy  to  represent  his  nation.  I  was  informed  that 
the  King  had  conferred  upon  me  the  honour,  ''as  a 
token  of  His  Majesty's  appreciation  of  my  very  valu- 
able works." 

I  may  mention  that,  while  Count  Menabrea  was 
Prime  Minister,  he  had  issued  a  letter  to  the  Consuls 
of  Italy  in  all  countries,  pointing  out  the  valuable 
examples  of  encounter  with  difficulties,  finally  over- 
come by  courage  and  perseverance,  published  in  Self- 
Help,  and  requested  them  to  furnish  accounts  of  the 
lives  of  Italians,  from  the  countries  to  which  they  had 
emigrated,  in  order  that  a  similar  book  should  be 
published  at  home,  for  the  encouragement  and  benefit 
of  Italian  citizens. 

In  my  communications  with  Count  Menabrea 
relative  to  the  above  matter,  I  desired  to  be  in- 
formed whether  any  satisfactory  information  had 
been  received  from  the  Italian  Consuls,  and  whether 
anything  had  been  done  towards  publishing  the  work 
which  he  had  proposed  when  issuing  his  circular. 
His  Excellency  was  pleased  to  say  that  my  work, 
and  another  of  merit  by  M.  Sessona,  ''  Volere  e 
Potere,"  were  still  the  books  principally  read;  and 
that  no  work,  such  as  he  had  proposed,  had  yet  been 
published.     He  concluded  as  follows  : — 


''  Du  reste.  Monsieur,  vos  ouvrages  sont  bien 
avenus  dans  mon  pays  ou  ils  ont  excite  et  excitent 
encore  un  vif  interet.  Ils  appartiennent  a  cette 
saine  litterature  qui  a  pour  b{it  le  bien  et  I'ameliora- 
tion  des  conditions  de  Thumanite,  et  ils  sont  dignes  de 
votre  belle  devise :    Industria,   virtus,   et  fortttudo. 


846  VISIT  TO  ITALY 

Moi  aussi  j'ai  une  devise  anolog"ue :  Virtus  in  arduis, 
qui  m'a  servi  de  guide  dans  ma  carriere,  car  je  pre- 
tends etre  le  fils  de  mes  oeuvres." 

I  hope  I  may  be  forgiven  the  little  vanity  of  quot- 
ing this  flattering  passage.  And  with  this  I  leave  my 
ever-memorable  visit  to  Italy. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

GROWING    OLD 

I  THINK  I  have  now  nearly  written  out  my  little 
autobiography.  After  all,  as  I  said  to  my  friend  Mr 
Haigh,  there  is  not  much  in  it.  The  life  of  a  business 
man,  or  of  a  literary  man,  is  not  of  much  interest. 
There  is  no  romance — no  adventures — nothing  of 
stirring  moment.  It  is  only  a  little  bit  of  human  life, 
working  on  from  day  to  day,  and  striving  to  make 
the  best  of  the  little  circle  in  which  providence  has 
placed  it.  And  the  time  speedily  arrives,  when  all 
this  must  come  to  an  end;  for  **the  night  cometh 
when  no  man  can  work." 

Still,  the  nature  of  man  is  to  do  something.  My 
habits  were  always  industrious,  and  I  could  never  be 
idle.  Accordingly,  after  our  autumn  tour  in  Scotland 
in  1879,  during  which  I  visited  Mr  Purdie  at  St 
Andrews,  Dr  Farquharson  at  Finzean  in  Aberdeen- 
shire, and  my  dear  friend  Mrs  Priestly  at  the  Laggan 
on  Speyslde — I  settled  down  for  the  winter ;  and 
proceeded  with  my  little  book  about  '*  Duty." 

I  had  been  so  pleased  with  my  first  visit  to  St 
Andrews,  that  in  1880  I  took  a  furnished  house 
at  Kinnessburn,  overlooking  the  links,  for  several 
months ;  and  there  I  invited  my  children  and  grand- 
children to  join  me.    It  was  a  pleasant  time ;  and  with 

847  • 


348  GROWING  OLD 

the  company  of  neighbours,  and  friends,  and  family, 
the  months  passed  healthfully  and  delightfully.  We 
had  many  a  gay  time  on  the  links,  following  the  red- 
coated  golf  players,  or  by  the  sands  on  the  seaside,  or 
driving  about  the  country.  And  there  I  finished 
my  book,  and  sent  the  MS.  to  the  printer.  I  need 
not  say  anything  about  its  reception  :  Duty  must 
speak  for  itself. 

Next  year  (1881)  I  went  to  Homburg ;  for 
rheumatism,  in  this  damp  climate,  makes  sad  inroads 
upon  old  joints  and  muscles.  I  took  with  me  the 
notes  of  Mr  Nasmyth's  autobiography,  to  rewrite  them 
and  work  them  up  into  a  consecutive  narrative  during 
my  leisure  hours.  Some  months  before,  I  had 
received  a  visit  from  Mr  and  Mrs  Nasmyth,  when 
they  desired  me  to  write  the  biography  of  the 
inventor  of  the  steam-hammer.  I  had  asked  for  the 
necessary  information  many  years  before,  when 
engaged  in  composing  Industrial  Biography.  Mr 
Nasmyth  had  furnished  me  with  all  that  he  thought 
necessary  at  the  time,  and  it  was  very  interesting; 
but  now  that  he  had  thought  over  the  matter — and 
being  an  idle  and  yet  an  active  man,  like  myself — he 
was  of  opinion  that  some  further  account  of  himself 
and  his  contrivances  might  be  useful,  as  a  guide  and 
incentive  to  others.  I  was  accordingly  quite  willing 
to  help  him  in  his  project. 

I  desired  him  to  write  down  everything  that  he 
recollected,  anyhow,  and  then  I  would  put  it  into 
shape.  It  was  a  matter,  however,  of  greater  labour 
than  I  had  expected ;  far  greater  than  this  little 
memoir  of  my  own  life.  For  here,  I  knew  all  the 
little  recollections  of  my  own  small  career  ;  but  there, 
I  had  to  get  into  the  heart  of  the  life  and  recollections 
of  another  and  far  greater  man.      I  got   the  first 


1881]     NASMYTJTS  AUTOBIOGRAPHY     349 

volume  of  Mr  Nasmyth's  recollections,  and  took  it  to 
Homburg-  with  me.  A  good  deal  of  it  was  written 
out  in  almost  microscopic  handwriting.  If  anyone 
were  to  see  the  original  book,  they  would  recog'nise 
the  labour  I  had  in  bringing  the  recollections  and  the 
narrative  into  shape.  I  had  to  give  it  a  beginning, 
a  middle,  and  an  end ;  for  it  had  no  end.  In  fact,  I 
wrote  it  all  out,  from  the  first  page  to  the  last. 

After  proceeding  with  the  memoir  to  a  certain 
extent,  I  went  into  Switzerland,  to  Pontresina ;  and 
after  some  residence  there  (during  which,  owing  to 
the  high  altitude,  I  could  not  sleep),  I  went  over  the 
Stelvio  Pass,  to  Innsbruck,  Salzburg-,  Munich,  and 
down  the  Rhine,  homewards  to  London.  Then  I 
again  proceeded  with  the  book.  After  considering 
the  matter,  I  thought  that  the  best  form  in  which  to 
place  it  before  the  public  was  as  an  Autobiography. 
To  this  Mr  Nasmyth  eventually  consented ;  and  it 
so  appeared. 

No  book  could  have  been  better  received.  The 
two  leading  Quarterlies,  the  Times,  the  Athenceum, 
and  all  the  leading  papers,  were  full  of  its  praises. 
And  yet,  according  to  my  ideas,  the  work  did  not 
succeed  so  well  as  it  should  have  done.  A  previous 
book  of  mine — the  Life  of  George  Moore — had  been 
reviewed  in  none  of  these  important  publications,  and 
indeed  it  had  received  some  rather  carping  and  adverse 
notices.  Yet  it  had  been  far  more  successful,  so  far 
as  circulation  went.  Geor£^e  Moore,  with  no  illustra- 
tions, went  off  like  ''hot  rolls,"  -whiX^  James  Nasmyth, 
with  abundant  illustrations,  "hung  fire."  The  Life 
of  George  Moore  was  translated  into  French,  German, 
and  Italian  ;  whereas  Nasmyth! s  Autobiography  was 
translated  into  none  of  these  languages.  Of  course, 
both  were  republished  in  America. 


350  GROWING  OLD 

It  was  only  another  illustration  of  the  lottery  of 
book  publishing.  One  never  can  tell  what  will  be 
the  success  of  a  book.  It  may  be  in  its  title,  or  in 
its  matter,  or  in  the  way  in  which  it  is  presented  to 
the  public.  Georg-e  Moore  was  a  merchant  and 
philanthropist ;  James  Nasmyth  was  a  manufacturer 
and  inventor.  Their  lives  were  written  equally  well. 
Why  did  the  one  book  succeed  more  than  the  other  ? 
I  cannot  tell. 

But  a  rather  knowing  bookseller  hinted  the 
possible  secret.  He  said,  *'  If  it  had  been  published 
as  a  life  by  you,  it  would  have  been  a  great  success  ; 
but  it  is  by  an  unknown  author,  and  you  are  merely 
its  'editor.'  You  see  what  the  Times  says — that 
'  Dr  Smiles's  work  has  been  a  light  one,  and  that 
the  volume  is  very  much  as  it  left  the  hands  of  its 
author.'  Of  course  that  is  the  opinion  of  the  public, 
and  that  is  why  the  book  has  not  succeeded  so  well 
as  it  should  have  done."  There  may  be  something  in 
this ;  but  I  still  think  that,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  I  was  the  shaper  and  author  of  the  book,  as 
much  as  of  the  life  of  Edward,  the  book  was  properly 
cast  in  the  form  of  an  Autobiography. 

I  remember  sending  the  manuscript  of  an  article 
to  the  Quarterly.  Mr  El  win  was  then  editor — a 
most  able  one.  He  took  my  material,  and  without 
using  anything  else,  he  rewrote  and  reshaped  it  into 
an  admirable  contribution.  I  learned  a  great  deal 
from  Mr  Elwin's  treatment  of  my  subject.  I  was 
not  offended ;  on  the  contrary,  I  rejoiced  at  his 
throwing  his  own  mind  and  heart  into  the  theme. 
The  article  I  refer  to  was  entitled  ''James  Watt." 

I  did  the  same  with  the  Scotch  Naturalist,  I 
took  up  his  tale,  and  made  his  case  my  own.  I 
gathered  together  his  random  articles,  and  retold  his 


1881]     THE  EAST  WINDS  OF  SPRING     351 

stories  afresh,  and,  I  think,  with  Increased  interest.  I 
imparted  to  them  that  which  Edward  did  not  possess, 
and  which  I  did — some  literary  art ;  and  I  did  the 
same  with  the  Autobiography  of  Nasmyth.  Soon 
after  the  appearance  of  the  Scotch  Naturalist^  the 
Scotsman  announced  that  Thomas  Edward  had  pre- 
pared a  supplement  to  his  life,  which  would  shortly  be 
published.  I  heard  from  several  publishers  that  they 
had  been  applied  to  about  this  continuation,  but  that 
they  had  not  accepted  it.  They  wished  me  to  revise 
and  rewrite  it.  But  I  could  not  undertake  to  do  so. 
Indeed,  I  doubted  the  wisdom  of  publishing-  it.  I 
thoug-ht  it  better,  after  Edward  had  obtained  his 
pension,  to  'Met  well  alone." 

After  I  had  got  Nasmyth! s  Autobiography  out  of 
hand — finally  corrected  and  published — I  went  over 
to  France,  with  my  wife — alv/ays  a  faithful  com- 
panion— In  order  to  avoid  the  east  winds  of  February 
and  March.  Since  my  attack  of  brain  disease  some 
years  ago,  I  have  always  spent  a  considerable  portion 
of  my  time  In  travelling-.  Change  of  scene,  and 
change  of  diet,  with  complete  rest,  set  me  up  again 
for  a  new  spell  of  work.  Not  that  work  for  gain 
was  necessary,  but  work  for  some  special  purpose. 
Besides,  I  had  always  some  hobby  to  exercise  my 
mind  upon,  even  while  travelling.  Varieties  of  work 
recruit  the  springs  of  pleasure,  and  give  a  new  zest  to 
holiday-making.  Though  I  was  growing  old,  I  did 
not  feel  my  sense  of  enjoyment  to  diminish.  '*  It  is  a 
poor  wine,"  said  Jeffrey,  "that  grows  sour  with  age." 
I  combined  exercise  with  mental  recreation — walked 
as  much  as  I  could — and  reflected  upon  many  things 
which  presented  themselves  in  the  course  of  my 
observation. 

One  thing  especially  struck  me,  as  it  had  often 


352  GROWING  OLD 

done  before  in  the  course  of  my  continental  journeys 
— the  largfe  number  of  armed  men,  drilled  and  ready 
to  kill  with  the  most  death-dealing  instruments.  At 
every  frontier,  between  one  country  and  another, 
there  was  a  huge  army  watching  another  huge  army 
over  the  boundary  line — doing  nothing  but  drilling 
and  marching — eating  off  the  head  of  industry,  and 
very  likely  to  bring  political  perdition  on  Europe; 
perhaps  breeding  future  revolutions  and  national  con- 
vulsions. If  all  this  was  for  the  protection  of  trade,  it 
was  like  setting  so  many  bull-dogs  to  watch  the  door, 
and  to  worry  alike  friends  and  customers.  All  these 
men,  in  the  prime  of  life,  had  been  withdrawn  from 
the  pursuits  of  agriculture  or  industry — and  were  wait- 
ing, armed  to  the  teeth,  for  what  was  to  happen  next. 
We  are  not  much  better  ourselves,  though  our  army 
is  recruited  by  volunteers,  and  not  by  forced  conscrip- 
tion, which  tells  so  fearfully  upon  the  condition  of 
France,  Germany,  and  other  continental  nations.  I 
remember  a  story  told  me  by  Sir  John  Lefroy,  while 
Colonel  at  Woolwich.  An  Egyptian  Pasha  had 
come  to  England,  and  made  an  inspection  of  the 
Manufactory  of  Arms  at  the  Arsenal.  An  observa- 
tion was  made  to  him  respecting  the  beauties  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  extraordinary  construction  of  the 
Pyramids. 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  Pasha,  **  I  wonder  at  you  English- 
men thinking  of  the  Pyramids.  They  are  all  hum- 
boogs !  What  I  like  in  England  are  your  Big  Guns  : 
they  are  not  humboogs ! " 

But  the  hobby  that  most  influenced  me  during 
this  little  excursion  to  France,  was  the  subject  of 
Race.  I  had  always  endeavoured  to  detect  the  differ- 
ences which  existed  between  one  people  and  another 
— in    their    shape,    figure,   complexion,   habits,   and 


^IBRAHr 


'^ 


1881>  PAU  353 

customs.  For  Instance,  it  was  curious  to  see  the 
contrast  between  the  population  spread  over  the  face 
of  England  and  that  over  the  face  of  France.  In  the 
one  case,  the  residences  and  farm-houses  are  all  apart, 
separate  from  each  other  ;  while  in  France,  the  farm- 
ing- population  are  assembled  in  clusters  of  villages, 
many  of  their  dwelling's  being-  far  from  the  fields 
which  they  have  to  till  and  cultivate.  In  England, 
this  arose  from  the  Anglo-Saxon's  comparative  in- 
difference to  society,  to  his  self-dependence,  and  his 
love  of  home-comfort ;  whilst  in  France,  the  cluster- 
ing of  the  population  in  villages  arises  from  their  love 
of  society,  their  love  of  talk  or  converse,  and  the 
pleasures  which  come  from  assembling  together.  This 
has  been  observed  by  many  travellers ;  and  it  all 
arises  from  the  difference  of  race  between  the  one 
country  and  the  other. 

But  my  principal  object  was  to  see  something  of 
the  Basques — perhaps  the  oldest  people  in  Europe, 
living  upon  the  soil  which  they  occupied,  some  say 
twenty  centuries  before  the  Celts  made  their  appear- 
ance in  France.  I  found  them  at  Pau,  where  they 
are  recognised  by  their  berret  or  cap,  not  unlike  the 
lowland  Scotch  bonnet,  while  the  women  cover  their 
heads  with  the  red  hood  or  capulet.  But  these 
ancient  costumes  are  much  better  seen  further  south. 

Pau  contains  a  large  colony  of  English.  The 
Hotel  de  France  was  full  of  them.  They  had  an 
English  club  ;  an  English  drag,  with  a  post-horn  ;  an 
English  fox-hunt,  where  the  fox  was  let  out  of  a  bag 
and  hunted ;  English  races,  English  polo  matches, 
Scotch  golf,  English  cricket,  and  three  English 
churches.  A  number  of  the  English  were  very 
"horsey."  Those  who  did  not  talk  about  horses, 
talked  about  shares — Brighton  and  Egyptian  Unified. 

Z 


354  GEOWING  OLD 

It  seemed  difficult  to  get  rid  of  the  London  Stock 
Exchang-e.  Yet  Pan  is  a  very  pleasant  place.  The 
view  of  the  Pyrenees,  covered  with  snow,  towards  the 
south,  extending  all  along  the  sky  line,  is  very  grand  ; 
some  say  it  is  unsurpassed,  though  it  is  not  equal  to 
the  view  of  the  Oberland  Alps  from  the  Miinster 
Platz  at  Berne. 

On  the  same  plateau  on  which  the  Hotel  de 
France  stands,  and  overlooking  the  river  Gave,  is 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  buildings  in  France — the 
historic  castle  in  which  Henry  of  Navarre,  the  Bon 
Roi,  was  born.  Here  is  the  cradle  in  which  he  was 
rocked,  and  the  playthings  of  his  youth.  The  castle 
has  been  subject  to  many  changes.  At  one  time  it 
furnished  an  asylum  to  Calvin,  Theodore  Beza,  and 
the  early  reformers ;  then  it  was  assaulted  by  the 
Biscayans  during  the  civil  wars  in  Beam,  the  marks 
of  the  shot  fired  by  them  being  still  seen  on  the  walls 
of  the  Tour  de  la  Monnaye  ;  it  was  eventually  sacked 
and  despoiled  by  the  Revolutionists  of  1793,  though 
the  cradle  of  Henry  IV.  was  preserved,  another 
being  substituted  in  its  place.  Abd-el-Kader  was 
a  prisoner  in  the  castle  in  1848  ;  and  Queen  Isabella 
occupied  it  in  1869.  Westward  of  the  castle  lies  the 
park,  beautifully  laid  out,  and  abounding  with  noble 
trees.  It  stands  high  above  the  Gave,  and  affords  a 
splendid  view  of  the  peaks  of  the  Pyrenees,  which 
bound  the  distant  horizon. 

The  weather  became  cold,  and  snow  began  to 
fall.  We  had  left  London  when  the  birds  were 
singing  in  Kensington  Gardens,  for  the  sunny  south, 
and  the  further  south  we  went,  the  colder  it  grew. 
We  left  Pau  and  went  by  rail  along  the  line  of 
country  so  much  celebrated  in  Napier's  History  of 
the  Peninsular  War — by  Orthez,  so  well  known  for 


1881]  ST  JEAN  DE  LUZ  355 

its  fierce  fight ;  to  the  Bidassoa,  which  Wellington 
crossed  in  spite  of  the  heavy  forces  arrayed  against 
him,  and  then  to  Bayonne,  below  which  he  crossed 
the  Adour — a  memorable  instance  of  his  intrepidity 
and  force  of  character.  At  Bayonne,  we  landed 
amidst  a  fierce  snowstorm.  In  spite  of  it,  we  made 
our  way  at  once  to  Biarritz,  where  we  found  peace 
and  quiet  at  the  Hotel  dAngleterre. 

When  the  weather  had  subsided,  we  found 
Biarritz  a  charming  seaside  place.  Wonderful  walks 
by  the  shore,  north  and  south :  the  long  Atlantic 
waves  coming  in,  even  in  the  quietest  weather,  ten 
or  twelve  feet  high,  and  dashing  themselves  as  spray 
on  the  sands.  The  south  coast,  by  the  Chemin  de 
la  Cote  Basque,  was  the  favourite  walk.  The  hills  of 
Spain  were  seen,  beyond  the  bay,  covered  with  snow, 
and  the  rocky  clefts,  over  which  the  waves  dashed, 
were  full  of  brightness.  Summer  seemed  to  have 
come  while  we  remained  here — from  the  loth  to  the 
24th  of  March. 

The  pleasantest  excursion  we  made  while  at 
Biarritz,  was  to  St  Jean  de  Luz,  a  Basque  town 
about  ten  miles  to  the  south.  It  lies  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Nivelle,  where  it  falls  into  a  beautiful  bay. 
Here  we  saw  the  Basque  race  in  perfection — Basque 
men,  women,  and  children.  They  are  a  fine-looking 
people — though  rather  small ;  but  they  are  sturdy, 
agile,  and  vigorous — dark-haired  and  dark-eyed — 
very  like  the  remnants  of  the  same  race  still  found  in 
Wales.  In  Spain,  where  they  are  very  numerous, 
they  were  known  as  the  Iberians ;  in  Wales,  as  the 
Silurians.  They  are  supposed  to  number  about 
840,000  people,  north  and  south  of  the  Pyrenees. 

There  is  a  wonderful  old  Basque  church  at  St 
Jean  de   Luz — a  large  hall-like  apartment,  without 


356  GROWING  OLD 

aisles,  and  having  wooden  galleries  running  round 
three  sides.  The  sanctuary  is  up  a  steep  flight  of 
steps,  and  occupied  by  three  altars.  Notwithstanding 
the  devotion  of  the  Basques,  they  are  still  believers 
in  witchcraft  and  the  evil  eye.  The  Basque 
"brownie"  is  equivalent  to  the  Devonshire  "were- 
woman."  Christianity  has  not  yet  been  able  to 
uproot  the  old  pagan  superstitions.  But  I  cannot 
here  enter  into  the  subject  of  the  special  race  to  which 
the  Basque  people  belong.  We  left  Biarritz  for  Paris, 
crossed  the  Channel,  and  reached  home  by  the 
beginning  of  April. 

Three  months  later,  on  the  4th  of  July,  I  started 
for  a  short  tour  in  Ireland,  accompanied  by  my  young 
friend,  Count  Giuseppe  Zoppola.  My  friend  was 
amazed  at  the  wreckage  of  the  empty  houses  in 
Dublin.  Wherever  a  house  was  empty,  every  window 
was  smashed  —  a  curious  indication  of  the  mis- 
chievousness  of  Dublin  boys.  We  put  up  at  the 
Shelburne — the  cleanest  hotel  in  the  city.  We  went 
round  and  saw  the  renovations  made  in  the  Cathe- 
drals of  St  Patrick  and  Christ  Church — the  one 
made  by  the  greatest  brewer  in  Ireland,  the  other 
by  the  greatest  manufacturer  of  ardent  spirits. 
Wonderful,  what  porter  and  whisky  have  done  for 
Dublin !  We  saw  the  splendid  buildings  by  the 
Liffey — the  Bank  of  Ireland,  once  the  Irish  Parlia- 
ment House,  the  Custom  House,  now  almost  disused, 
the  Exchange,  and  the  Four  Courts — all  splendid 
buildings.  Then  we  went  to  Phoenix  Park,  and 
passed  the  spot,  marked  with  a  cross,  where  Lord 
Frederick  Cavendish  and  Mr  Burke  had  been  so 
foully  murdered.  A  sad  sight!  the  driver  of  our 
car  passed  it  with  a  groan. 
.  I  observe  a  great  difference  amongst  the  people 


1881]  IRELAND  357 

generally,  since  my  first  visit  to  the  south  of  Ireland 
some  forty  years  ago.  There  were  then  a  great 
many  more  beggars  about  the  cities,  towns,  and 
villages  than  now.  The  people  seemed  to  be  very 
poor.  And  yet  they  were  apparently  much  gayer. 
The  cardrivers,  ragged  though  they  might  be,  were 
full  of  wit  and  humour.  Now,  though  well  dressed, 
and  much  better  off,  they  were  only  surly.  At  the 
Phoenix  Park,  the  Dublin  garrison  were  under  review. 
It  was  a  fine  sight,  the  united  bands  playing  the 
forces  past  the  Irish  Commander-in-chief,  the 
picturesque  city  lying  beyond  the  green  sward  along 
the  Liffey,  and  the  Wicklow  Mountains  in  the 
distance.  The  cardrivers  stood  apart  and  whispered 
together.  There  seemed  to  be  no  rejoicing  in  their 
hearts  at  the  sight.  After  seeing  all  that  was  to  be 
seen  in  Dublin — the  museums,  which  are  very  fine, 
and  the  Picture  Gallery,  which  contains  some  excellent 
specimens  of  ancient  and  modern  art — we  set  out  for 
Galway  and  Connemara. 

The  country  looked  very  smiling  and  prosperous 
as  we  went  along — past  Maynooth  and  through  the 
southern  parts  of  the  counties  of  Meath  and  West- 
meath,  where  the  pasture  land  is  the  richest  in  Great 
Britain.  We  crossed  the  Shannon  at  Athlone,  the 
sight  of  which  brought  to  mind  the  contest  at  that 
place  between  the  French  and  Irish  forces  under  the 
command  of  St  Ruth,  and  the  English  and  Dutch 
under  the  command  of  General  Ginckel,  less  than 
two  hundred  years  ago.  The  place  was  carried  after 
a  furious  assault,  and  the  French  and  Irish  retreated 
to  Aughrim,  where  they  were  defeated  principally  by 
the  French  Huguenots,  and  driven  southward  towards 
Limerick.  There  were  kings  on  both  sides — James 
II.  and  the  Catholiq^  on  the  one,  and  William  III. 


358  GROWING  OLD 

and  the  Protestants  on  the  other.     Will  these  days 
ever  return  ? 

At  Athlone,  three  dark-coated  gentlemen  got  into 
our  carriage.  There  seemed  to  have  been  a  function 
or  conference  going  on  at  the  place,  as  many  of  the 
same  cloth  were  seen  along  the  platform.  Our 
neighbours  brought  an  ill  odour  with  them.  One 
of  them  had  been  imbibing  liberally  of  the  ''wine  of 
the  country,"  and  was  disposed  to  speak  loudly  to 
his  friends.  The  others  were  very  quiet  and 
peaceable. 

The  soil  became  poorer  and  thinner,  large  stones 
and  rocks  appearing  at  intervals  ;  then  the  sea  came 
in  sight,  and  at  length  we  reached  Galway  amidst  a 
torrent  of  rain.  Rain  is  no  doubt  the  cause  of  the 
greenness  of  Ireland — Green  Erin — always  open  to 
the  rain  clouds  of  the  Atlantic.  I  need  not  say  much 
of  Galway.  It  is  a  decaying  town.  It  is  too  far 
out  of  the  reach  of  traffic  and  commerce.  Its  flour 
mills  are  silent,  for  the  corn  comes  ready  ground  from 
America ;  its  fisheries  are  neglected ;  and  nothing  is 
done  to  encourage  new  industries.  While  at  Galway 
I  read  a  speech  of  Mr  Parnell,  delivered  after  the 
opening  of  the  Exhibition  at  Cork.  He  urged  the 
investment  of  capital  for  the  employment  of  native 
labour — a  most  excellent  subject  truly.*  But  who 
will  invest  capital  in  a  country  where  property,  the 
result  of  industry,  is  not  secure  ? 

There  is  plenty  of  capital  in  Ireland  as  well  as 
England ;  and  wherever  there  is  a  likelihood  of  a 
remunerative  return,  it  is  readily  invested.  Mr 
Fawcett,  in  his  Political  Economy,  points  out  that 

*  I  have  dwelt  upon  this  subject  in  Men  of  Invention  and  Industry^ 
pp.  256-323.  The  book  was  written,  in  some  measure,  from  the  result 
of  this  visit  to  Ireland. 


1881]  IRELAND  359 

nowhere  can  capital  be  had  if  it  cannot  be  had  from 
England.  But  see  what  is  done  for  the  investment 
of  English  capital  in  Ireland.  An  English  company- 
proposed  to  take  some  old  deserted  buildings  on  the 
river  Corrib,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  woollen 
manufactory.  The  splendid  supply  of  water  power 
was  their  first  consideration,  and  the  cheap  supply  of 
labour  was  the  second.  The  projectors  were  of 
opinion  that  what  the  Scotch  do  at  Hawick  and 
Galashiels — working  up  their  own  wool  on  the  spot, 
into  trouserings  and  blanketings — might  be  equally 
done  in  the  West  of  Ireland.  But  on  inquiry  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  disused  buildings,  they  were  in- 
formed that  the  sum  required  for  ground  rent  was 
;^500  per  annum.  Of  course,  the  idea  was  preposter- 
ous ;  the  projectors  went  elsewhere  with  their  capital, 
and  the  buildings  continue  tumbling  to  ruin. 

A  little  further  up  the  river  is  a  large  space 
enclosed  by  a  square  stone  wall.  The  space  was 
enclosed  for  the  purpose  of  burning  seaweed  in  order 
to  make  iodine ;  but  why  erected  so  far  away  from 
the  sea,  no  one  knew.  The  seaweed  had  to  be  carried 
up  there  through  the  canal,  as  well  as  the  coal.  At 
all  events,  the  speculation  stopped  with  the  building 
of  the  wall,  and  no  seaweed  has  ever  been  burnt 
there. 

I  went  to  the  Court- House  at  Galway,  where  the 
Commissioners  were  then  sitting  for  the  purpose  of 
reducing  the  landlords'  rents  under  the  recent  Land 
Act.  The  farmers  seemed  very  poor  people,  and 
were,  for  the  most  part,  cultivators  of  small  holdings 
at  moderate  rents.  Will  the  reduction  do  them  any 
good?  We  must  hope  so.  Even  if  the  land  were 
their  own,  without  capital  it  is  probable  that  they 
could  not  make  more  than  a  slender  living  out  of  it. 


360  GROWING  OLD 

Rent  has  not  much  to  do  with  alleged  distress.  The 
Irish  people  pay  more  for  whisky  than  for  rent.  The 
rental  of  agricultural  land  in  Ireland,  in  1881,  was 
estimated  at  ;^i  1,518,392 ;  whereas  the  amount 
spent  in  intoxicating-  liquors  was  ;^I3,823, 102  ;  or 
£2,^04,7 10  more  in  drink  than  in  rent*  The 
amount  paid  to  tenants  for  tenant  right  has  much 
more  influence  upon  the  farmers'  condition  than  the 
amount  paid  to  the  landlords  for  rent.  Sometimes 
the  amount  of  tenant  right  is  enormous  ;  but  no  one 
proposes  to  alter  it. 

And  yet  the  labourers'  condition  in  Ireland  must 
be  improving.  When  Inglis  visited  the  country  in 
1834,  he  said  that  the  labourer  considered  himself 
fortunate  in  having  employment  at  sixpence  per  day 
throughout  the  year.  But  this  wage  must  be  now 
more  than  quadrupled.  You  cannot  get  labourers  to 
work  in  the  country  for  twelve  shillings  a  week.  In 
Dublin  they  won't  work  for  less  than  five  shillings  a 
day.  If  they  can  get  it,  so  much  the  better.  It 
would  be  a  great  thing  to  be  accomplished,  if  the 
Irish  people  could  be  induced  to  rely  more  upon 
their  own  efforts,  rather  than  on  money  raised 
from  the  taxpayers,  or  on  reductions  of  rent 
squeezed,  no  matter  by  what  means,  from  the 
landlords. 

No  doubt  there  are  many  excuses  for  the  poor 
people  of  Ireland.  They  have  been  too  much  accus- 
tomed to  rely  upon  other  people's  help,  and  too  little 
upon  their  own  industry.  Their  clergy,  who  have  so 
great  an  influence  over  them,  ought  to  enjoin  upon 
them  the  virtues  of  self-reliance,  prudence,  and  fore- 
sight ;  because,  after  all,  the  prosperity  of  a  people 
must  depend  eventually  upon    individual    exertion. 

*  Tz'mes,  29th  March  1881. 


1881]  GALWAY  361 

No  idle  people  were  ever  prosperous,  and  no 
industrious  people  were  ever  poor.  As  Bishop 
Berkeley  said  long-  ago,  '*The  wealth  of  a  country 
bears  proportion  to  the  skill  and  industry  of  its 
inhabitants." 

While  at  Galway,  I  had  frequent  interviews  with 
the  last  remnant  of  one  of  the  Thirteen  Tribes  who 
settled  there  in  the  thirteenth  century.  He  was  a 
baronet,  and  his  father  had  formerly  represented  the 
county.  His  patrimony  had  been  squandered,  and 
he  was  now  as  poor  as  his  tenantry.  Still  he  was 
"hail  fellow,  well  met,"  with  everybody  ;  and  to  us,  as 
strangers,  he  was  very  kind.  He  took  us  to  his 
Castle  on  the  river  Corrib ;  and  a  fine  old  ivy-covered 
place  it  is — venerable,  picturesque,  and  admirably 
situated.  There  are  some  splendid  old  trees  about 
the  grounds  ;  yet  everything-  has  the  look  of  neglect. 
The  house  inside  has  been  for  the  most  part  stripped 
of  its  finest  furniture.  The  arras,  which  used  to 
decorate  the  staircase,  has  been  removed  and  sold. 
It  is  an  unhappy  position  for  the  inheritor  of  this 
beautiful  place — his  capital  has  been  squandered  by 
his  predecessors,  and  he  can  do  but  little  to  improve 
the  condition  of  his  tenantry.  There  is  some  fine 
marble  on  the  estate,  but  for  lack  of  capital  it  cannot 
be  properly  worked  and  brought  to  market.  We 
were  taken  to  see  the  village  connected  with  the 
estate.  But  it  was  a  sad  sight.  Most  of  the  houses 
were  in  ruins  ;  some  had  been  demolished ;  for  a  large 
number  of  the  tenantry  had  emigrated. 

We  intended  to  proceed  to  the  island  of  Aran  at 
the  entrance  of  Galway  Bay,  to  see  the  wonderful 
remains  of  the  ancient  building  there,  most  probably 
the  work  of  some  extinct  race ;  but  a  tremendous 
storm  set  in   from   the    south-west,   and    the    little 


362  GROWING  OLD 

pleasure-steamer  did  not  start.  We  took  the 
opportunity,  however,  of  going  up  Lough  Corrib,  to 
see  the  remains  of  the  once  famous  Abbey  of  Cong  ; 
the  sail  up  the  lough  is  very  pleasant ;  the  islands 
and  foreground  varying  from  time  to  time,  while 
the  lofty  hills  of  Connaught  bound  the  distance. 
Numerous  castles,  or  ruins  of  castles,  are  seen  on 
either  side ;  but  there  is  a  great  want  of  wood. 
The  numerous  islands  which  we  pass  are  woodless ; 
the  Irish  proprietors  forgetting  that  trees  grow  while 
we  sleep,  and  that  a  not  unimportant  revenue  can  be 
obtained  from  the  growth  of  wood.  At  the  top  of 
the  lough  we  reached  the  landing-place  at  Ashford, 
near  the  fine  country  seat  of  Lord  Ardilaun,  sur- 
rounded by  woods.  We  were  told  on  board  the  boat, 
that  the  owner  had  been  giving  employment  to 
several  thousand  workmen  in  the  improvements  of 
his  estate ;  but  when  his  agent  was  murdered  a  few 
years  ago,  and  his  body  thrown  into  Lough  Mask, 
he  paid  off  the  workmen,  and  left  the  place :  very 
much  to  the  dismay  of  the  poor  working  people  of  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  principal  object  at  Cong,  about  a  mile  from 
the  landing-place,  is  the  old  Norman  Abbey,  now  in 
ruins.  The  last  native  king  of  Ireland,  Roderick 
O'Conor,  is  said  to  have  died  here  in  the  twelfth 
century.  The  Abbey  of  Cong  was  formerly  noted 
for  its  great  riches ;  and  the  remaining  buildings, 
though  in  ruin,  furnish  evidence  of  the  artistic  beauty 
with  which  it  was  decorated.  What  remains,  however, 
is  now  merely  a  shell — the  best  view  of  the  ornate 
windows  being  obtained  from  the  gardens,  which  are 
beautifully  laid  out.  The  river  which  joins  Lough 
Mask  to  Lough  Corrib  runs  close  behind ;  and  the 
monks  had  a  method  of  making  the  salmon   catch 


1881]  LOUGH  MASK  363 

themselves  in   the  traps  which  they  set  under  the 
bridg-e — all  for  the  good  of  the  monastery. 

In  the  evening,  we  took  a  long  walk  towards 
Lough  Mask.  The  face  of  the  country  was  very 
singular.  It  was  covered  for  miles  with  dense  blocks 
of  carboniferous  limestone,  apparently  serrated 
together,  without  a  scrap  of  vegetation.  Under 
these  blocks,  the  river  between  the  two  Loughs  runs 
underground ;  only  emerging  at  intervals.  An 
attempt  was  made  during  the  Starvation  Crisis  in 
Ireland  to  make  a  canal  between  Lough  Corrib  and 
Lough  Mask :  but  though  much  employment  was 
given  to  the  poor  people,  the  canal — the  marks  of 
which  still  stand — could  never  hold  water,  and  it  was 
eventually  abandoned.  The  constructors  probably 
did  not  know  the  use  of  puddling.  What  Brindley 
said  would  have  been  applicable — "  Puddle  it,  again 
and  again." 

From  the  high  ground  on  Blake  Hill,  we  enjoyed 
the  beautiful  view  of  Lough  Corrib  and  Lough  Mask 
— the  latter  of  hateful  memory.  The  mountainous 
group  round  the  western  shores  of  Lough  Mask 
looked  very  grand  in  the  evening  twilight.  It  was 
sad  to  think  of  the  murderous  scenes  which  had 
recently  taken  place  in  so  quiet  and  apparently  peaceful 
a  place.  Not  far  off  was  the  site  of  a  great  battle — 
that  of  Southern  Moytura,  or  Matura  Cong — where 
the  ancient  Firbolgs  met  the  Tuatha  de  Dananns, 
and  after  four  days'  fierce  fighting,  achieved  a  victory. 
Fighting  seems  to  have  been  the  constant  occupation 
of  the  ancient  Irish,  long  before  the  invasion  of 
Strongbow. 

We  might  have  stayed  longer  at  Cong,  but  for  the 
inn,  which  was  a  hideous  place.  It  was  like  all  the 
other  inns  in   the  (^onnemara  district — thoroughly 


364  GROWING  OLD 

incomplete  —  bad  food,  bad  beds,  bad  everything. 
Moths,  and  the  wings  of  moths,  abounded  every- 
where. We  found  the  same  evidences  of  inaccuracy, 
inattention,  and  incompleteness,  in  the  course  of  our 
entire  journey.  Little  is  done  to  attract  and  retain 
visitors.  Hence  visitors  do  not  come  to  enjoy  the 
beautiful  scenery  of  Connemara ;  and  if  they  do 
come,  they  go  away  as  speedily  as  possible. 

I  need  not  cite  my  further  experiences  in  the 
West.  We  went  from  Galway  to  Recess  on  Lough 
Glendalough  —  then  by  the  Twelve  Pins,  past  Mr 
Mitchell  Henry's  new  Castle  of  Kylemore,  to  Letter- 
frack — where  we  found  letters  from  home.  We  next 
travelled  along  Killary  Harbour — which  very  much 
resembles  a  Norwegian  fiord,  running  far  inland — to 
Leenane;  then  through  the  inland  country,  by  the 
banks  of  the  river  Erriff— -where  the  salmon  fishers 
were  busily  at  work — to  Westport  on  Clew  Bay 
with  its  thousand  islands.  From  Westport  to 
Ballina  by  railway,  and  from  Ballina  to  Sligo  by  an 
outside  car.  At  Sligo  we  found  some  pleasant  friends, 
with  whom  we  spent  a  happy  time,  then  across  Ulster 
to  Belfast,  where  we  found  comfort  and  hospitality. 
We  were  now  amongst  a  new  race — where  industry, 
self-reliance,  and  energy,  are  regarded  as  among  the 
essential  elements  of  manhood.  But  I  have  already 
given  a  full  enough  account  of  the  self-help  of  the 
people  of  Belfast  in  my  little  book  on  Men  of  Invention 
and  Industry. 

From  Belfast  I  proceeded,  with  my  friend  Zoppola, 
by  Larne  and  Stranraer,  to  the  northern  part  of 
Cumberland,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  my  dear 
friend  Mrs  Moore  at  Whitehall.  We  were  accom- 
panied from  Carlisle  by  my  wife,  who  enjoyed  the 
visit  as  much  as  we  all  did.     Mrs  Moore  had  been 


1884]  MEN  OF  INVENTION  365 

pleasantly  associated  with  me  in  the  preparation  of 
the  life  of  her  revered  husband ;  and  I  think  the 
volume  in  which  that  life  has  been  embodied  is  likely 
to  do  some  little  amount  of  good  in  this  world, 
by  showing-  that  sympathy  and  kindness  are  of  far 
greater  importance  than  money-making  and  selfish 
accumulations.  After  a  few  days  at  Whitehall, 
during-  which  we  saw  the  Border  towers  and  scenery 
of  the  neighbourhood,  we  proceeded  to  Melrose, 
Edinburg-h,  and  Loch  Awe;  then  we  returned  to 
Dunkeld,  from  which  I  made  my  visit  to  the  porter- 
astronomer  of  Coupar-Angfus.  My  tour  was  not 
yet  ended,  for  at  York  my  wife  went  on  to  London, 
while  I  journeyed  back  to  Saltburn-on-the-sea,  for 
the  purpose  of  visiting-  Mrs  Cooke,  the  widow  of 
the  famous  astronomical  instrument  maker  of 
Bucking-ham  Street,  York.  After  I  had  accomplished 
that  object,  I  proceeded  across  the  country  to  Bang-or, 
North  Wales,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  several 
interviews  with  another  self-taught  astronomer,  John 
Jones,  the  slate-counter  at  Penrhyn  Quay.  But  all 
that  history  I  have  recounted  elsewhere,  and  need 
not  dwell  upon  it  here. 

When  I  reached  home,  I  proceeded  with  the 
collecting,  revising,  and  writing  out  of  my  history 
of  a  few  men  of  invention  and  industry ;  as  a  sort 
of  supplemental  volume  to  the  accounts  I  had  already 
published  in  Industrial  Biography  and  Lives  of  the 
Engineers.  I  had  proceeded  pretty  far  by  the  begin- 
ning of  1884,  when,  one  morning,  on  lifting  up  a 
picture  to  hang  upon  the  wall,  I  felt  my  mouth  full 
of  blood.  What  ?  was  this  the  foreshadowing  of  the 
end  ?  I  sent  for  my  friend  Dr  Parr,  and  he  examined 
me.  My  lungs  were  sound.  There  were  no  tubercles 
or  signs  of  them  ther^.     But  my  pulse  was  bounding, 


366  GEOWING  OLD 

and  it  seemed  that  I  was  too  full  of  blood.  I  was 
put  upon  low  diet,  and  I  gfradually  recovered  my 
strength.  I  laid  my  books  and  writing  to  one  side, 
and  took  another  little  holiday.  I  went  over  to 
Belfast  again,  and  obtained  from  my  friend  Mr 
Harland  the  history  of  his  important  and  significant 
life  for  my  forthcoming  book ;  and  after  I  had 
accomplished  this  purpose,  I  proceeded  to  Edin- 
burgh to  take  part  in  the  Tercentenary  Festival  of 
the  University,  which  was  celebrated  in  April  of 
that  year.  I  was  kindly  invited  by  Sir  George 
Harrison,  the  Lord  Provost,  to  reside  with  him  and 
partake  of  his  hospitality  during  my  stay  in  the 
city.  But  I  desired  to  be  as  free  from  excitement 
as  possible,  and  preferred  to  live  in  a  hotel  where 
I  was  free  to  come  and  go,  or  to  rest  according  to 
inclination.  ^ 

Everything  went  off  in  the  most  perfect  manner 
during  the  celebration  of  the  Tercentenary.  The 
reception  of  guests  at  the  museum,  followed  by  the 
students'  torchlight  march ;  the  procession  of  the 
professors,  graduates,  and  distinguished  guests  to 
St  Giles'  Cathedral,  and  the  sermon  there,  followed 
by  the  lunch  at  the  University  new  buildings ;  the 
assemblage  of  distinguished  foreigners,  and  the 
granting  of  degrees  to  them,  followed  by  the  grand 
banquet  at  the  Drill  Hall ;  the  numerous  receptions 
by  the  advocates,  the  Royal  Scottish  Academy,  and 
the  students ;  winding  up  on  the  fourth  day  of  the 
celebration  with  a  splendid  exhibition  of  fireworks — 
during  the  whole  course  of  which  the  conduct  of  the 
assembled  multitude  was  most  admirable- —all  went 
off  in  perfect  order. 

On  returning  home,  I  finished  my  book,  and  sent 
the  manuscript  to  the  printers.     Being  still  full  of 


1884]  NOEWAY  867 

my  old  fad  about  Race,  I  desired  to  pay  a  visit  to 
the  western  coast  of  Norway,  to  see  the  country  from 
which  the  piratical  Vikings  came  in  ancient  times 
— men  who  had  crossed  the  sea  in  open  boats  and 
made  raids  upon  all  parts  of  the  coast  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  I  had  visited  Christiania  and 
the  Miosen  Lake  in  the  south  many  years  before, 
after  my  excursion  to  the  North  Frisian  Islands ; 
but  now  I  wished  to  visit  the  western  coast  of 
Norway,  and  observe  some  of  the  extensive  fiords 
which  penetrate  inland  from  the  sea,  sometimes  for 
a  hundred  miles  or  more. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  accompanied  by  my 
friends,  Dr  and  Mrs  Parr — both  delightful  com- 
panions, full  of  conversation  and  of  anecdotal  recol- 
lections, the  result  of  close  and  intelligent  observation 
of  character.  We  left  Hull  late  on  the  night  of  the 
31st  of  July  1884  by  the  Hero,  and,  after  a  pleasant 
voyage,  reached  the  islands  off  the  coast  of  Norway 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  3rd  of  August.  We 
first  touched  at  Alesund,  and  then  steamed  northward 
between  the  islands  and  the  mainland.  Out  at  sea, 
we  had  met  some  rough  weather,  but  inland  we  were 
protected  from  the  ocean  and  steamed  quietly  along. 
On  the  land  side  we  observed  the  serrated  hills  crested 
with  snow.  Little  bits  of  land,  covered  with  soil 
washed  down  from  the  mountains,  afforded  but  little 
space  for  cultivation  ;  but  wherever  there  was  a  patch 
of  land,  there  was  a  cottage  upon  it,  and  the  space 
was  turned  to  use.  Fishermen's  boats  and  little 
vessels  were  seen  lying  in  the  creeks ;  for  the  people 
are  fishermen  as  well  as  farmers — the  women  mostly 
staying  at  home,  while  the  men  live  by  the  sea.  The 
mountains,  as  they  came  in  sight  as  we  steamed 
further    along,    looked    peaked,    and    jagged,    and 


368  GEOWING  OLD 

ragged.  I  do  not  wonder  that  the  old  Norsemen, 
when  they  found  themselves  possessors  of  a  rock- 
bound  country  incapable  of  cultivation  or  extension, 
should  have  desired  to  leave  it  for  a  land  more 
responsive  to  their  industry. 

Our  steamer  stopped  at  the  little  town  of  Molde, 
opposite  the  entrance  to  the  Romsdal  Fjord.  We 
saw  the  furrowed  snow-covered  peaks  of  the 
mountains  in  the  distance  ;  but  we  were  not  allowed 
to  land.  A  telegram  had  been  received  from  Eng- 
land, to  the  effect  that  cholera  had  broken  out ;  it 
proved  to  be  a  mere  scare,  though  some  bad  cases  of 
British  cholera  had  occurred  at  a  town  in  Lancashire. 
The  harbour  master  at  Molde  prohibited  anyone 
leaving  the  vessel ;  so  that  we  were  perforce  under 
the  necessity  of  going  forward  to  Trondhjem,  and 
leaving  our  trip  up  the  Romsdal  Fjord  to  some 
future  period.  The  voyage  to  Trondhjem  was 
nevertheless  full  of  interest.  We  steamed  back 
through  the  Molde  Fjord,  and  northward  through 
the  Jul  Sound — sound  or  sund  being  one  of  the 
numerous  names  which  we  have  derived  from  the 
Scandinavian.  The  mist  hung  low  upon  the 
mountains,  under  the  snow.  We  passed  light- 
houses, and  bits  of  farms,  washed  at  foot  by  the 
sea.  The  country  looked  wild,  bleak,  and  in- 
hospitable. The  jagged  rocks  stood  up  in  some 
places  in  long  ridges — washed  bare  by  the  constantly 
falling  rains  from  the  west.  Sometimes  scarcely  a 
house  was  to  be  seen.  In  other  places,  if  there  was 
a  bit  of  land  washed  down  from  the  adjoining  hills, 
there  was  a  dwelling  or  two,  but  they  seemed  only 
temporary,  built  of  wood,  and  not  unlike  an  enlarged 
cigar-box.  In  one  place,  we  observed  three  cows  on 
a  height,  but  no  sheep  were  to  be  seen.     There  was 


1884]  NOEWAY  369 

no  corn  in  the  fields.  In  fact,  there  were  no  fields — 
only  rock,  with  occasional  patches  of  scrub  and  bits 
of  grass.  No  wonder  the  old  Norsemen  left  this 
sterile  country. 

The  next  town  we  reached  was  Christiansand,  a 
very  busy  fishing  place,  situated  on  four  promontories 
of  rocky  islands.  Little  steamers  were  flying-  between 
the  different  islands.  Immense  quantities  of  fish 
were  laid  drying  upon  the  rocks.  When  the  split 
fish,  or  klipfish,  had  been  dried,  they  were  built  up 
into  stacks.  These  are  taken,  for  the  most  part,  to 
Spain  and  other  Catholic  countries.  Men  and  women 
were  equally  at  work ;  but  it  was  pleasant  to  see 
that  home  was  not  neglected,  for,  as  we  passed  the 
windows,  we  observed  that  they  were  crowded  with 
flowers  in  bloom. 

We  went  on  again,  past  islands  and  rocky  cliffs 
swept  by  the  waves — past  Smolen  and  Hitteren — 
and  then  we  entered  the  Trondhjem  Fjord.  The 
scenery  about  here  is  not  very  interesting.  But  one 
of  the  curious  things  to  be  seen,  is  the  boats  scudding 
across  the  fiord,  sometimes  impelled  by  sail,  some- 
times by  oars,  and  sometimes  by  both.  Many  of  the 
boats  were  manned  by  women  only.  They  seemed 
as  deft  with  the  oar  as  the  sail.  And  the  curious 
thing  was,  that  these  boats  were  built  in  the  style  of 
the  old  Viking  war-boat.  The  tradition  of  boat 
building  had  lasted  for  more  than  eight  hundred 
years.  When  the  boat  was  enlarged  to  the  size  of 
a  ship,  it  was  impelled  by  a  large  square  sail  amid- 
ships. But  the  oar  was  still  used,  especially  in 
steering — on  the  steerboard  or  starboard  side. 

On  reaching  Trondhjem,  we  were  not  allowed  to 
land  until  we  had  been  examined  and  passed  by  the 
sanitary  doctor  of  the  port.     We  had  to  remain  on 

2  A 


370  GKOWING  OLD 

board  all  nig-ht ;  and  next  morning-,  a  dapper  little 
man,  the  Trondhjem  surgeon,  mounted  the  ship  s 
side,  and  had  us  all  mustered  and  examined.  There 
was  nothing  wrong ;  we  were  all  well,  with  no  sick  on 
board ;  so  at  last  we  were  permitted  to  land  on  the 
shores  of  Gamle  Norge. 

Trondhjem  is  a  very  quiet  little  town  or  city. 
And  yet  it  is  the  capital  of  Mid-Norway.  At  one 
time  it  must  have  been  a  place  of  great  importance, 
for  it  was  from  this  place  that  some  of  the  most 
formidable  piratical  expeditions  sailed  for  the  shores 
of  great  Britain  and  Normandy.  It  was  here  that 
the  Lon§:  Serpent  was  launched  on  the  Nidd,  and  set 
sail  for  England,  with  other  war-galleys,  full  of 
Bareserks.  Trondhjem  was  the  principal  station  of 
King  Olaf  Trygvesson,  the  famous  sea-warrior,  who 
built  and  launched  his  ships  here,  and  set  forth  on 
his  famous  expeditions. 

But  there  is  nothing  of  the  piratical  character 
about  the  Norwegians  of  the  present  day.  They  are 
quiet,  peaceful,  and  honest.  As  we  landed,  we 
observed  the  tallness  and  fine  figures  of  the  men — 
generally  much  better-looking  than  the  women.  They 
were,  for  the  most  part,  fair-haired,  with  blue  or  light 
grey  eyes  ;  though  the  Professor  of  Antiquities  at 
Christiania  informed  me  that  two-thirds  of  the 
Norwegians  were  fair,  and  one-third  dark.  The 
darker  people,  however,  must  inhabit  the  inland 
parts  of  the  country,  as  nearly  all  we  saw  were  fair- 
haired  and  blue-eyed. 

We  went  to  see  the  cathedral,  which  is  in  course 
of  restoration.  It  seems  to  have  fallen  for  the  most 
part  to  ruins ;  but  now  there  is  every  probability  of 
its  being  restored  to  its  original  splendid  condition — 
the  work  being  liberally  helped  by  the  State.     The 


1884]  TRONDHJEM  371 

structure  seems  to  be  a  combination  of  Norman  and 
early  Eng-llsh.  More  than  half  of  the  whole  buildings 
has  already  been  restored.  More  than  half  the 
houses  in  the  city  are  built  of  wood,  so  that  every 
precaution  is  taken  to  keep  the  fire  brigade  in  a  state 
of  perfect  efficiency.  Great  fires  are,  however,  still 
common  in  the  place — the  great  fire  of  1858  having 
destroyed  60  houses,  and  rendered  about  1000  people 
homeless. 

After  seeing  all  that  was  to  be  seen  at  Trond- 
hjem,  we  took  a  passage  by  the  steamboat  for 
Bergen,  and  set  out  the  same  night  at  twelve  o'clock. 
We  passed  the  same  line  of  coast  that  we  had  already 
seen,  and  remained  two  nights  on  board.  At  Alesund, 
we  passed  the  place  from  which  Rolf  the  Ganger 
had  set  out  for  the  conquest  of  Normandy,  where 
his  castle  is  now  in  ruins.  We  went  sometimes 
inside  the  islands  which  surround  the  west  coast  of 
Norway,  and  sometimes  through  the  open  sea, 
though  there  were  usually  long  crests  of  rocks  far 
out,  over  which  the  waves  were  wildly  beating  them- 
selves into  spray. 

We  stopped  at  Floro  to  take  in  some  cargo  of  fish, 
where  we  were  reminded  of  the  likeness  of  the  men 
to  our  people  at  home.  The  fishermen  very  much 
resembled  those  at  Peterhead,  Fraserburgh,  and 
Gamrie,  in  Aberdeenshire  and  Banffshire.  The 
young  women  were  the  same,  only  in  the  one  case 
they  were  Pigs  (or  pigge)  and  in  the  other  Lassies. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  English  are  more  like  the 
Frisians  and  Danes ;  and  that  the  Lowland  Scotch, 
the  Cumbrians,  and  Northumbrians,  are  more  like 
the  Norwegians.  At  the  table  d'hote  on  the  steamer, 
I  sat  opposite  a  gentleman  who  was  the  very  picture 
of  the  late  George  Stej^henson,  the  engineer. 


372  GROWING  OLD 

At  breakfast,  in  the  cabin,  as  well  as  elsewhere, 
tve  hdid  flad-brod,  similar  to  the  oatmeal  cakes  intro- 
duced into  Yorkshire  and  other  counties  in  England 
by  the  old  Northmen.  In  short,  there  are  numerous 
resemblances  between  the  Norwegians  and  Eastern 
English  and  Scots — their  manners  and  customs — 
their  maritime  instincts  and  love  of  the  sea — their 
steadiness,  orderliness,  and  courage — all  of  which  I 
cannot  particularise  here,  though  I  hope  to  do  so 
in  my  long-contemplated  work  on  Race.  But  will 
that  ever  be  written  ?  At  present  it  seems  to  me  to 
resemble  that  of  the  hero  of  Bulwer's  Caxtons,  who 
contemplated  a  Great  Work,  "The  History  of 
Human  Error,"  which  was  never  written,  or  at 
least  never  finished. 

We  landed  in  Bergen,  a  fishing  town,  very 
picturesquely  situated.  The  principal  street  along 
the  harbour  is  called  the  Strand,  just  as  our  street 
along  the  shore  of  the  Thames  in  London  is  called 
by  the  same  name ;  and  the  Danes  or  Northmen  had 
their  principal  church  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Thames  in  the  Strand  (St  Clement  Danes),  and  on 
the  south  their  principal  church  was  St  Olave's,  in 
Tooley  Street — or  St  Olave's  Street.  The  population 
here  is  very  mixed,  not  so  pure  as  at  Trondhjem. 
These  are  both  fair  and  dark,  and  not  so  tall  and 
well-formed ;  but  this  is  the  case  in  most  commercial 
towns. 

After  staying  a  night  at  Bergen,  at  a  not  very 
agreeable  hotel — though  it  was  said  to  be  the  best  in 
the  place — we  started  by  steamer  for  the  Hardanger 
Fjord.  The  morning  was  very  fine.  The  sun  was 
out ;  the  view  of  the  boats  and  ships,  with  their  back- 
ground of  mountains,  looked  large  and  grand.  We 
were  preceded  down  the  ByQord  by  a  great  steamer 


1884]  NORWEGIAN  FJORDS  373 

bound  for  England.  Though  Bergen  is  surrounded 
by  greenery — being  originally  called  Bjorgvin,  from 
''the  pasture  between  the  mountains" — the  vegeta- 
tion rapidly  disappeared  as  we  emerged  from  the 
land-locked  bay.  Then  we  came  to  bare,  striated 
rocks,  with  not  a  vestige  of  vegetation.  Passing 
islands  without  number,  we  reached  the  Bjorne 
Fjord,  and  passed  through  a  magnificent  panorama. 
Here  trees  and  vegetation  were  abundant.  Indeed, 
this  fiord  seemed  to  me,  under  the  morning  sun,  to 
present  a  combination  of  the  beauties  of  Loch 
Lomond  and  the  Lake  of  Como.  As  we  passed 
along,  the  names  of  places  reminded  us  of  those  at 
home.  The  lighthouses  on  the  points  of  land  were 
Fyrness  (Furness).  There  was  Lunden ;  not  far  off 
was  Selby;  and  Lerwick,  near  the  entrance  to  the 
Hardanger  Fjord.  This  inlet  of  the  sea,  which  runs 
more  than  lOO  miles  inland,  consists  of  many  fiords, 
each  called  by  its  special  name.  But  I  need  not  com- 
memorate them  here.  The  nautical  instincts  seem  to 
have  accompanied  the  Norwegian  people  everywhere. 
At  the  little  hamlet  of  Rosendal,  the  inhabitants, 
though  they  were  but  peasants,  had  five  beautifully 
modelled  yachts  and  schooners  on  the  stocks,  of  from 
80  to  1 50  tons  burthen — some  of  them  nearly  ready 
for  launching.  In  the  distance,  amongst  the  trees, 
was  the  seat  of  Baron  Rosenkrantz,  one  of  the  two 
last  remaining  barons  in  Norway ;  for  titles  of 
nobility  were  abolished  in    1821. 

The  further  we  went,  the  loftier  the  mountains 
became.  We  went  in  and  out,  sometimes  under 
precipices,  at  other  times  along  the  fertile  undulating 
sward,  shut  in  by  some  lowering  mountain  near  at 
hand.  We  saw  the  water  shooting  from  the  hill-tops 
in  falls,  some  of  them. very  fine.     For  the  Folgefond 


374  GROWING  OLD 

is  always  covered  with  its  snow-mantle ;  this  great 
mass  of  snow,  and  ice,  and  glaciers,  covering  about 
150  square  English  miles;  during  the  summer  it  is 
constantly  sending  down  its  melted  waters  to  the 
valleys  below.  We  passed  on — the  scenery  con- 
stantly varying — until  we  at  length  reached  the  little 
hamlet  of  Utne,  situated  near  the  confluence  of  four 
fiords,  radiating  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass, 
and  surrounded  by  the  most  beautiful  mountain 
scenery. 

We  were  fortunate  in  getting  accommodation  at 
the  little  inn,  and  there  we  remained  for  about  a  week. 
The  landlady  could  not  speak  English,  and  we  could 
not  speak  Norwegian  ;  but  we  very  soon  succeeded  in 
finding  an  interpreter ;  for  most  of  the  Norwegian 
visitors  at  the  little  inn  could  speak  English  ;  some  of 
them  perfectly.  The  landlady  was  a  widow ;  and 
though  old,  she  managed  her  house  perfectly.  Her 
name  was  Thorburn — spelt  Thorbjorn — a  well-known 
Border  Scottish  name.*  She  was,  indeed,  very  like 
some  of  my  own  immediate  relations.  She  was  not, 
however,  called  by  her  own  name,  but  was  known  in 
the  neighbourhood  as  Mother  Utne ;  and  a  fine  old 
mother  she  was. 

The  house  was  of  a  rather  primitive  character.  It 
was  built  of  wood,  like  most  of  the  Norwegian  houses. 
The  outer  lobby,  or  hall,  was  pretty  wide  and  spaci- 
ous ;  its  windows  overlooked  the  fiord  and  the 
mountains  on  the  further  side ;  while  it  was  set  round 
about  with  forms  for  the  visitors.  Doors  opened  from 
the  hall  into  the  dining  or  eating-room  on  the  right 
hand,  into  the  kitchen  in  the  back  centre,  and  into 
the  drawing-room  on  the  left.     In  the  middle  of  the 

*  There  are  also  Thorburns  in  Banffshire  and  Wigtonshire — places 
where  the  Northmen  settled. 


1884]  UTNE  375 

hall  was  a  winding  wooden  staircase  leading  to  the 
bedrooms  above.  Everything  was  primitive,  clean, 
neat,  and  comfortable.  There  was  plenty  of  light, 
and  plenty  of  air.  The  food  was  good,  though  not 
luxurious.  Everything  was  simple  and  unpretending. 
Old  Mother  Utne  was  dressed  in  the  costume  of  the 
Hardanger  Fjord — a  red  bodice  round  her  waist,  and 
a  large  winged  white  cap  on  her  head — which,  by 
the  way,  the  Norse  people  imported  into  Normandy, 
where  the  like  head-gear  still  exists.  The  price 
charged  for  our  accommodation  was  unusually 
moderate. 

It  happened  that  most  of  the  visitors  staying  at 
the  little  inn  were  from  Bergen.  They  were  mostly 
professors,  teachers  in  the  higher  schools,  and  there- 
fore educated  people.  The  daughter  of  the  Burgo- 
master of  Bergen  was  there,  as  well  as  the  President 
or  Speaker  of  the  Municipal  Council.  They  could, 
nearly  all  of  them,  speak  English ;  and  some  of  the 
ladies  sang  and  played  admirably.  We  had  therefore 
fallen  by  accident  into  a  very  pleasant  place;  and 
soon  felt  ourselves  quite  at  home.  There  was  plenty 
of  pleasant  walking  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  the  walk  to 
the  summit  of  the  lofty  hill  behind  Utne  command- 
ing splendid  views  of  the  surrounding  waters  and 
mountains.  There  was  also  boating  on  the  fiord  close 
at  hand ;  and  an  occasional  excursion  up  the  Sor 
Fjord,  with  its  surrounding  majestic  scenery.  We 
had  then  distant  views  of  the  Folgefond  and  its  vast 
snow-covered  crest.  The  visit  we  paid  to  Ullensvang, 
and  the  Protestant  pastor  there,  was  very  pleasant. 

As  we  passed  Kinservik,  on  our  way  to  Ullensvang, 
the  place  was  pointed  out  where  the  Scotch  ships  used 
to  come  for  timber — Scotland,  in  past  times,  being 
very  bare  of  wood.^   The  sailors  emptied  out  their 


376  GROWING  OLD 

ballast  before  taking-  in  their  return  cargo;  and  the 
ballast  now  forms  a  ridg^e  of  stone  which  passing- 
ships  have  to  avoid.  The  place  is  called  Skotto-fluen, 
or  Scottish  shoal.  The  fare  paid  to  our  boatmen  on 
these  occasions  was  very  moderate  ;  and  when  a  little 
present  was  made  over  the  fare,  the  boatmen  shook 
hands  with  us  all  round. 

Politics  exist  in  Norway  as  well  as  Eng-land. 
We  found  there  were  democrats  as  well  as  conserva- 
tives in  Mother  Utne's  party.  The  democrats  have 
now  the  control,  and  are  alleged  by  the  conserva- 
tives to  be  merely  a  mob  government.  One  con- 
servative lady,  with  whom  we  got  into  conversation, 
told  us  that  the  democrats  were  only  the  Torske,  or 
Codfish  people.  Having  made  some  inquiry  about 
the  Torskes  from  a  supposed  neutral  person,  he  told 
me  that  the  democrats  repudiated  the  name ;  and 
they  were,  he  believed — though  occasionally  mistaken 
— working  for  the  good  of  the  people. 

There  was  one  circumstance  related  to  me  by  the 
Librarian  of  the  Bergen  Free  Library,  which  I 
thought  of  much  interest.  She  told  me  that  the 
Municipal  Government  of  Bergen  —  following  the 
example  of  Gottenburg  and  Christiania — had  resolved 
to  give  no  further  licenses  to  drinking  shops,  because 
of  the  increasing  vice  of  drunkenness  ;  but  that  they 
had  permitted  a  company  of  known  and  respectable 
men  to  take  possession  of  the  public  houses,  and  keep 
them  under  strict  control.  This  number  was  limited, 
and  strict  regulations  were  laid  down  for  their  guid- 
ance. The  sale  of  spirits  was  to  be  entirely  prohibited 
on  Sundays  and  Saints'  days,  and  also  on  Saturdays 
and  the  eves  of  festivals,  after  5  p.m.  The  laws  relat- 
ing to  the  sale  of  wine  and  beer  were  much  less 
stringent. 


1884]  GOTTENBURG  377 

The  company  was  formed ;  the  capital  necessary 
to  purchase  the  public  houses  was  subscribed ;  and 
operations  began  a  few  years  ago.  It  was  arranged 
between  the  company  and  the  municipality  that 
whatever  profit  was  made,  over  and  above  the  5  per 
cent,  on  their  capital,  should  be  handed  over  to  the 
town  for  the  purpose  of  promoting-  public  improve- 
ments. The  results  have  been  perfectly  satisfactory. 
Not  only  have  the  profits  been  such  as  to  pay  the  5 
per  cent,  interest  on  the  capital,  but  a  large  surplus 
has  been  annually  handed  over  to  the  municipality. 
This  has  been  expended  in  maintaining  the  Free 
Library  and  the  Museum,  and  Musical  Bands  which 
play  at  certain  hours,  and  in  laying  out  public 
grounds  and  parks  for  the  recreation  of  the  public. 
Why  should  not  this  admirable  example  be  followed 
elsewhere  ? 

We  left  this  pleasant  place  with  regret,  after  many 
hand-shakings,  congratulations,  and  good  wishes. 
We  went  down  the  Hardanger  Fjord,  and  passed  the 
villages,  and  falls,  and  rocks,  and  mountains,  which 
we  had  seen  on  our  way  up.  After  a  few  days  in 
Bergen,  we  started  for  Hull,  and  steamed  south, 
partly  amongst  the  islands,  to  Stavanger.  Here  a 
number  of  emigrants  came  on  board.  They  were 
mostly  young  persons,  and  their  mothers  and  sisters 
stood  along  the  shore,  weeping  and  sobbing.  But  it 
was  as  it  had  been  for  a  thousand  years  :  the  youth 
must  go  to  some  more  productive  regions — for 
the  world  was  still  but  half  peopled.  Before,  young 
men  from  Norway  had  gone  as  pirates  ;  now  they  went 
as  honest  emigrants — willing  to  work  their  way  with 
energy  and  industry.  As  the  ship  left  the  shore, 
there  was  a  ''hip!  hip!  hurrah"  from  those  on  board 
— but  what  of  those  poor  mothers  and  sisters  left  on 


378  GROWING  OLD 

shore  ?  During  the  evening,  after  we  were  well  out  to 
sea,  the  youngf  Norwegians  sang  Folk-songs  and 
danced  national  dances  until  a  comparatively  late 
hour.  After  a  pleasant  voyage,  we  reached  Hull,  in 
the  midst  of  a  yacht-race ;  and  could  scarcely  land 
because  of  the  crowd  which  lined  the  pier  and 
the  shores  of  the  H  umber. 

In  the  following  November,  my  little  book 
entitled  Men  of  Invention  and  Industry  was  published. 
It  had  a  large  sale,  and  was  well  received  by  the 
press.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  reviews  of  my 
books  have  been  generally  fair.  Reviewers  have 
praised  my  efforts  to  entertain  and  instruct  the 
public,  quite  as  much  as  they  deserve.  This  I  can 
say  with  justness  and  fairness  ;  because  the  reviewers 
know  as  little  of  me  personally  as  I  know  of  them. 
They  say  their  say  about  my  works,  and  I  am 
perfectly  content.  The  book  was  translated  into 
Italian  and  Dutch ;  perhaps  into  other  languages, 
but  of  these  I  cannot  tell.  Of  course  it  was 
republished  In  the  United  States.  I  sent  over  advance 
sheets  to  Harper  &  Co.,  New  York,  as  a /'protec- 
tion," they  told  me,  against  a  piratical  publisher. 
The  Harpers  used  to  give  me  a  sum  for  my  advance 
sheets,  but  they  do  this  no  longer.  They  publish 
my  books  in  their  Franklin  Square  Library,  and  sell 
them  for  some  6d.  or  7d.  Of  course  they  can  give 
me  no  allowance  out  of  this  ;  but  when  the  book  is 
published  at  a  dollar,  they  send  me  a  trifle  of  the 
profit* 

The  reason  of  this  is,  that  a  man  with  a  Highland 
name — doubtless  descended  from  some  old  Highland 
Cateran — has  set  up  an  enormous  piratical  establish- 

*  In  justice  to  Messrs  Harpers,  a  statement  of  their  payments  to 
Dr  Smiles  is  given  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  on  page  382. 


1884]  COPYEIGHT  379 

ment  in  New  York.  He  pounces  upon  all  the  best 
books  that  issue  from  the  Eng-lish  press,  and 
publishes  them  without  any  communication  with  the 
authors,  and,  of  course,  without  any  remuneration  for 
their  labours.  The  freebooter  in  question  has,  in  this 
way,  established  one  of  the  largest  publishing  houses 
in  America,  and  is  said  to  be  making  an  immense 
fortune  out  of  the  brains  of  English  authors.  The 
Harpers  had  treated  me  very  fairly,  considering  the 
law  of  their  country,  which  protects  book  piracy  as 
well  as  other  industries.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  best 
of  the  American  publishers  are  willing  to  secure  an 
alteration  in  the  law,  and  to  give  some  fair  considera- 
tion for  the  brain  work  of  English  authors ;  as  the 
legislatures  of  France,  Italy,  and  Germany  already 
do.  The  fault  is  not  so  much  in  the  American 
publishers,  as  in  the  American  people  and  their 
representatives  in  the  legislature.*  Charles  Dickens 
suffered  far  more  than  I  have  done.  In  one  of  his 
letters  he  said,  ''  I  have  no  hope  of  the  States  doing 
justice  in  this  dishonest  respect,  and  therefore  do 
not  expect  to  overtake  these  fellows,  but  we  may  cry 
'Stop,  thief r  nevertheless,  especially  as  they  wince 
and  smart  under  it."  I  believe,  however,  that  the 
American  people  will  yet  wipe  out  this  blot  from  their 
flag ;  and  follow  the  example  of  England  and  the 
principal  continental  governments,  in  securing  a 
limited  copyright  to  foreign  authors. 

But  authors  and  publishers  are  treated  almost  as 
badly  at  home.  In  1844,  Mr  Murray  brought  under 
my  notice  the  large  borrowings  made  from  my  works 
by  a  Christian  Society,  supported  by  public  donations 
and  subscriptions.  The  Church  Catechism  enjoins 
us  "to  keep  our  hands  from  picking  and  stealing  .  .  . 

*  The  law  of  189 1,  such  ^s  it  is,  had  not  then  been  passed.— Ed. 


380  GROWING  OLD 

not  to  covet  nor  desire  another  man's  goods,  but  to 
learn  and  labour  truly  to  get  our  own  living-."  But 
what  can  be  said  of  a  society  which  seizes  the  books 
belonging  to  other  people,  boils  them  down,  and 
undersells  the  original  owners.  Mr  Murray  showed 
me  a  volume  entitled  The  Prayer  Book  and  Com- 
mentary, taken  largely  from  the  Bishop  of  Derry's 
Bampton  Lectures  (1876),  on  ''The  Witness  of  the 
Psalms  to  Christ  and  Christianity."  This  book  had 
been  boiled  down  by  the  Society  in  question,  and 
sold  at  a  very  low  price.  Whole  pages  had  been 
taken  verbatim,  in  most  places,  without  acknowledge- 
ment ;  in  fact,  the  materials  and  body  of  the  cheap 
book  had  been  provided  by  the  brain  work  of  the 
original  author.  This  cannot  be  Christian,  for  it  is 
not  honest.  It  may  be  well  to  give  ''pure  literature" 
to  the  people,  but  is  it  necessary  that  they  should 
steal  it.^  Nor  is  this  the  way  to  teach  "the  people" 
honesty;  but,  on  the  contrary,  dishonesty,  even 
though  the  literature  be  "pure."  The  practice 
reminds  one  of  the  broom-seller  who  sold  his 
brooms  for  next  to  nothing,  because  he  stole  them 
"ready-made." 

As  regards  myself,  Mr  Murray  showed  me  two 
volumes  issued  by  the  same  society,  which  contained 
large  extracts  from  my  works,  without  which,  indeed, 
these  volumes  could  not  have  been  published.  One 
of  these  contained  the  lives  of  James  Watt  and 
George  Stephenson,  from  my  Lives  of  the  Engineers; 
Henry  Maudslay  and  Joseph  Clement,  from  my 
Industrial  Biography ;  and  James  Nasmyth,  from 
the  Autobiography,  which  I  recently  edited  and 
published.  It  is  true  that  this  volume  of  boiled- 
down  biographies  is  very  badly  done,  and  contains 
too    much    high-flown    language.       But    the    other 


1884]  COPYEIGHT  381 

volume,  published  by  the  same  society,  is  very  ably 
done,  by  a  thoroughly  practised  writer.  It  contained 
George  Stephenson  ag:ain  (twice  boiled  down  by  the 
same  society  in  one  year),  Thomas  Telford,  from 
my  Lives  of  the  Engineers,  and  Thomas  Edward, 
from  my  Life  of  the  Scotch  Naturalist. 

In  the  first  book,  the  author  or  editor  only 
incidentally  refers  to  me  as  "almost  the  only  astro- 
nomer who  has  examined  a  zone  of  these  heavens  " — 
why  this  ridiculous  statement  when  it  refers  merely 
to  engineering  and  invention? — and  further  on,  he 
adds  of  his  own  work,  *'  He  has  been  obliged  to  use 
the  material  that  lay  readiest  to  his  hand."  Of 
course!  my  books  were  the  readiest,  and  with  this 
help  and  a  little  elbow-grease,  he  could  readily 
boil  them  down,  to  enable  the  society  to  under- 
sell me.  In  the  case  of  the  second  volume,  the 
author  cites  me  often  by  name,  and  pays  me 
many  compliments,  for  which  I  thank  him;  but  I 
am  sorry  that  a  writer  of  his  powers  should  con- 
descend to  help  a  society  which  ''steals  its  brooms 
ready-made." 

Mr  Murray  desired  me  to  insert  a  protest  against 
this  method  of  dealing  with  other  people's  property, 
in  the  Times  and  the  AthencBum  ;  but  I  had  no  wish 
to  enter  into  a  controversy  on  the  subject.  I  must 
have  travelled  several  thousands  of  miles — from 
Leeds  to  Newcastle,  again  and  again — from  London 
to  North  Wales  —  to  Eskdale  in  Scotland  —  to 
Birmingham,  Cornwall,  Banff,  and  many  other 
places,  to  collect  the  materials  for  my  works ;  and  I 
spent  many  years  in  searching  numerous  documents, 
and  writing  them  out  for  publication ;  and  now  this 
society  takes  possession  of  the  whole,  ''uses  the 
material  that  lies  readjest  to  its  hand,"  boils  it  down. 


382 


GEOWING  OLD 


and  undersells  me  by  means  of  public  subscriptions ! 
I  do  not  know  what  other  people  may  think  about 
this  practice,  but  honest  authors  and  honest 
publishers  cannot  fail  to  regard  this  system  of 
purloining-  and  underselling  as  a  public  nuisance, 
which  ought  to  be  abated. 


Sums  paid  by  Messrs  Harpers  to  Dr  Smiles  for  their 
editions  of  his  books. 


1867.  The  Huguenots    . 

^100 

1 868.  Lives  of  the  Stephensons . 

100 

1 87 1.  Character. 

100 

1 87 1.  Boy's  Travel  round  the  World 

30 

1873.  Huguenots  after  the  Revocation 

25 

1873.  Self-Heip.     New  edition 

15 

1875.  Thrift       . 

100 

1876-7.  Scotch  Naturalist 

100 

1879.  Robert  Dick 

200 

iZZ-j .  Life  and  Labour  . 

50 

Royalties. 

1880.  Duty^  10  per  cent. 

1882.  James  Nasmyth,  10  per  cent. 

1884.  Men  of  Invention  and  Industry,  lo  per  cent. 

1894.  Josiah  Wedgwood,  10  per  cent. 

1 89 1.  Jasmin,  10  per  cent.,  later  12^  per  cent. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

APPRECIATION   FROM   FOREIGNERS 

2ird  December  1885.  —  This  day  I  enter  my 
seventy-fourth  birthday.  I  was  reminded  of  this  at 
last  Sunday's  service  —  the  20th  morning  of  the 
month.  "The  days  of  man  are  but  as  grass  :  for  he 
flourisheth  as  a  flower  of  the  field.  For  as  soon  as 
the  wind  goeth  over  it,  it  is  gone :  and  the  place 
thereof  shall  know  it  no  more."  Alas!  I  am  growing- 
old,  and  the  time  is  rapidly  coming  when  I  too  must 
depart  and  join  the  majority.  And  yet  how  many 
things  have  I  yet  to  do,  or  at  least  designed  to  do. 
Many  of  these  I  must  leave  to  others.  I  have  gener- 
ally had  work  enough  mapped  out  to  fill  at  least  ten 
years  of  life.  This,  I  suppose,  has  arisen  from  my 
habits  of  forethought  and  industry. 

How  different  is  my  feeling  of  a  birthday  now, 
from  what  it  was  when  I  was  a  boy.  Then  the  days 
dragged  along  slowly :  they  seemed  to  tarry ;  and  I 
longed  to  be  a  man,  and  doing  man's  work.  Now 
the  years  seem  to  fleet  like  the  wind,  and  succeed 
each  other  far  too  rapidly.  Does  this  mean  that  I 
lead  a  happy  life  ?  Even  as  a  man,  I  felt  it  like  a 
pastime  to  grow  old ;  but  now  it  is  different.  How 
many  things  to  do ;  how  many  things  left  undone. 
Fontenelle  said,  **  Si  je  recommen^ais  ma  carriere, 
je  ferais  tout  ce  que  j'ai  fait."     I  cannot  agree  with 

383 


384    APPEECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

this  view  of  life.  I  have  spent  much  of  my  time  care- 
lessly and  foolishly ;  missed  many  opportunities  for 
improvement ;  wasted  powers,  indulg-ed  in  false  hopes, 
and  wandered  after  meteoric  follies.  I  wish  I  had  the 
power  to  retouch  my  life,  as  the  artist  retouches  his 
picture.  But  I  cannot  do  so.  My  life  must  stand  or 
fall  by  what  I  have  done,  not  by  what  I  have  dreamt. 
I  have  been  getting-  together,  page  by  page,  that 
which  is  good  or  bad.  It  has  become  stereotyped 
in  me,  and  must  remain  there  so  long-  as  I  live. 
My  past  deeds  often  come  before  me,  like  a  succes- 
sion of  pictures.  Things  long  forgotten  come  up 
again  one  by  one ;  and  often  those  which  occurred  in 
the  early  portion  of  my  life,  come  back  the  clearest 
and  most  distinct.  In  the  course  of  a  few  more 
birthdays,  the  whole  story  will  be  told,  and  the  book 
will  be  finally  closed,  so  far  as  this  life  is  concerned. 
I  have  indeed  many  things  to  be  thankful  for.  A 
good  constitution,  which  has  enabled  me  to  stand  a 
considerable  amount  of  brain  work — and  even  to 
recover  from  my  attack  of  paralysis  fourteen  years 
ago,  and  since  then  to  do  a  little  more  work  for  the 
benefit  of  others ;  a  fair  amount  of  intellect,  which, 
however,  could  only  be  brought  into  action  by  much 
perseverance,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  preceding 
pages — ''perseverance"  which,  as  Carlyle  says,  ''is 
the  hinge  of  all  the  virtues."  I  have  also  been 
blessed  in  my  home  life — first  in  my  bringing-up 
by  my  devoted  mother,  and  next  by  the  affection 
and  prudence  of  an  excellent  wife.  I  could  reveal 
much  about  this ;  but  it  will  be  enough  to  say  that 
the  results — in  the  growth,  and  culture,  and  moral 
development  of  our  children — with  whom  she  had 
much  more  to  do  than  myself — have  proved  every- 
thing that  I  could  have  wished ;  for  they  have  been 


1885]  A  HUNGARIAN  CORRESPONDENT  385 

our  joy  and  comfort  from  childhood  to  manhood  and 
womanhood ;  and  now  my  gfrandchildren  gather 
about   me   in   clusters. 

Another  thing  has  given  me  pleasure.  I  have 
made  friends,  through  my  occasional  works,  In  many 
foreign  countries- — though  my  correspondents  have 
never  seen  me,  nor  I  them.  They  have  judged  me 
merely  by  my  writings.  My  pen  has  been  a  sort  of 
electric  wire  that  has  bound  us  together.  Some  of  my 
foreign  correspondents  asked  for  my  photograph,  and  I 
sent  It- — in  one  case  to  a  medical  gentleman  In  practice 
at  Nagy-Kdroly,  In  Hungary.  Its  arrival  seemed  to 
cause  a  sort  of  enthusiasm  In  his  family.  In  answering 
my  letter,  he  asked  to  be  excused  for  his  delay. 

''The  physician  in  practice,"  he  said,  ''Is  perhaps 
less  master  of  his  time  than  any  one.  It  Is  all  the 
more  necessary  that  I  should  ask  your  pardon  for  my 
offence  against  duty  and  good  manners,  because  I 
fear  that  you  will  find  It  difficult  to  believe  what  great 
joy  your  kind  present  has  created  for  me  and  my  little 
family.  The  arrival  of  your  letter  was  a  fete-day  for 
us.  Even  my  little  eight-year-old  boy  jumped  round 
with  joy,  and  could  not  look  at  the  picture  enough. 
Accept  our  heartfelt  thanks,  and  be  assured  that  both 
letter  and  portrait  will  be  preserved  by  us  as  a 
precious  memento.  I  can  say  with  a  certain  amount 
of  satisfaction,  that  I  have  never  thought  of  you  as 
otherwise  than  your  portrait  shows  you.  True  genius 
and  mind  are  pictured  as  clearly  in  your  works  as  in 
your  features.  Darwin  Is  right  once  more.  .  .  .  When 
you  wrote  your  books  with  the  wish  that  you  might 
spread  the  good  and  the  true  In  the  world,  bringing 
help  and  energy  to  others,  I  can  assure  you  that  you 
have  reached  your  aim,  and  may  think  of  the  future 
with  calm.  I  know  of  no  single  book  in  literature, 
out  of  which  so  much  good  may  be  drawn  as  out  of 
yours,  and  I  have  never  found  in  your  works  a  single 
sentence  that,  even  In  error,  could  be  taken  as  any- 
thing leading  towards  Immorality.  How  few  authors 
could  pride  themselves  on  this !  " 

2  B 


386   APPKECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

The  book  which  he  particularly  mentioned  was 
Self-Help,  and  although  a  translation  had  been  pub- 
lished in  the  Magyar  language  five  years  before,  con- 
taining illustrations  from  Hungarian  history,  he 
thought  that  a  better  translation  might  be  made, 
which  he  proposed  to  publish  in  the  periodical  of  a 
committee  to  which  he  belonged  (Szatmdrmegyei 
Kozlong)  under  the  title  of  '*  Smiles's  Pearls."  This 
he  afterwards  did,  and  sent  me  the  numbers  of  the 
periodical  in  which  the  translations  appeared,  though 
to  me  they  were  in  an  unknown  tongue.  In  sending 
them,  Dr  Franz  Takecbouzts  said,  ''It  will  be  a  child 
of  your  own,  and  will  perhaps  be  gladly  received  in 
its  Hungarian  dress." 

Another  enthusiastic  Croat,  in  words  of  praise 
which  I  cannot  repeat,  desired  to  have  my  sanction 
for  his  translation  of  Character.  I  may,  however, 
quote  the  following:  ''Your  Character''  he  said,  "is 
a  real  treasure  for  anyone,  but  particularly  for  the 
young.  Each  boy,  each  girl,  should  read  this  book, 
to  find  in  it  great  men  and  women  as  examples  for 
guidance  in  their  own  journey  through  life."  I  had 
much  pleasure  in  giving  my  sanction  to  his  transla- 
tion. He  had  read  the  work  in  the  Italian,  but 
in  order  to  do  his  work  from  the  quick,  he  set  to 
work  and  learnt  English,  and  afterwards  addressed 
to  me  his  first  letter  written  in  the  English  language. 
The  young  man,  Mirko  Turic,  was  then  living  at 
Agram,  a  student  of  philosophy ;  and  he  afterwards 
sent  me  a  copy  of  the  translated  work. 

Another  gentleman,  V.  E.  Mourek,  a  professor  at 
the  Royal  Imperial  College  at  Budweis,  in  Bohemia, 
addressed  me  as  to  the  proposed  translation  of 
Character  into  Czech.  I  agreed,  and  the  work  was 
published  in   parts,  and  afterwards  in  a  completed 


1885]     CZECHS,  SEKBS,  AND  CROATS     387 

book.  He  told  me  that  the  work  had  been  very 
favourably  received.  He  quoted,  from  the  many 
reviews,  an  extract  from  the  Koinensky,  a  paper 
devoted  to  educational  interests.  "This  excellent, 
golden  book  is  indeed  worth  a  whole  library.  And 
if  it  is,  as  it  deserves  to  be,  for  every  individual  a  sort 
of  practical  Bible,  which  ought  to  be  read  again  and 
again,  it  is  above  all  important  for  the  educators  of 
youth,  for,  as  it  says,  '  Nations  are  gathered  out  of 
nurseries,  and  they  who  hold  the  leading  strings  of 
children  may  even  exercise  a  greater  power  than 
those  who  hold  the  reins  of  government'  .  .  .  Smiles's 
book  is  written  in  such  a  flowing,  easy,  and  agreeable 
style,  that  whoever  reads  it,  finds  not  only  instruction 
and  elevation  of  thought,  but  also  the  most  agreeable 
mental  repose  and  pleasure.  His  theoretical  explana- 
tions are  full  of  flashing  thoughts  and  grains  of  gold, 
which  by  their  proverb-like  character  will  be  easily 
and  for  ever  impressed  upon  the  memory.  .  .  .  We 
wish  that  everybody  who  knows  how  to  read  might 
own  this  golden  book,  that  it  might  help  to  educate 
indefatigable  workers,  upright,  unselfish,  and  energetic 
characters  for  our  own  nation,  which  more  than  any 
other  stands  in  need  of  them."  Professor  Mourek 
also  translated  Self-Help  and  Thrift  for  Bohemian 
readers,  I  understand,  with  equally  happy  results. 

I  had  another  application  of  a  similar  character 
from  Sarazios  in  Bosnia.  The  writer  seemed  to  be 
an  Englishwoman — Adeline  Paulina  Irby.  She  said 
in  her  letter  : — 

"Sir,— ^^ 

"An  able  and  hard-working  Dalmatian 
Slav,  the  son  of  a  peasant,  who  by  his  merit  and 
industry  has  attained  the  position  of  a  local  official, 
has  sent  me  two  MS.  chapters  of  his  translation  into 
the   Serbo-Croat  language  of  your  valuable    work 


388  APPRECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

Thrift.  He  says  the  translation  is  nearly  finished, 
and  he  wishes  to  publish  it  as  soon  as  possible  in 
the  Cyrillic  and  Latin  characters,  that  it  may  be  read 
both  by  Serbs  and  Croats.  He  has  translated  from 
the  Eng-lish  original  with  the  help  of  the  German 
and  Italian  translations.  The  style  is  excellent. 
This  Dalmatian,  Nicola  Vackovic,  an  Austrian  official 
at  Zara,  writes  to  ask  me  if  I  could  obtain  for  him 
the  permission  of  the  author  to  translate  the  book. 
I  venture  to  forward  his  request,  being  very  anxious 
that  this  book  should  be  made  accessible  to  Serbs 
and  Croats,  for  whom  such  works  are  very  desirable." 


I  granted  the  necessary  permission,  but  what 
became  of  the  translation  I  do  not  know,  as  I  do 
not  think  I  was  favoured  with  a  copy  of  it. 

Although  I  derived  no  benefit  from  these  various 
translations,  yet  I  was  satisfied  that  these  little  books 
— the  results  of  the  occupation  of  my  leisure  hours — 
must  have  been  of  some  value  to  others,  otherwise 
they  would  never  have  been  thought  worthy  of  being 
published  in  other  languages.  My  reputation  with 
foreign  translators  and  foreign  readers — who  knew 
nothing  of  me,  nor  I  of  them — might  in  some  measure 
be  regarded  as  a  sort  of  reputation  with  contemporary 
posterity.  The  supposed  value  of  the  thoughts  in 
the  books  were  the  only  ties  between  myself  and  my 
translators. 

A  generation  must  have  passed  since  I  wrote  the 
first  of  them — that  is,  the  first  of  my  books  that 
anyone  would  read — and  they  cannot  fail  to  have 
made  a  considerable  impression  on  the  rising  genera- 
tion. Self- Help  was  published  in  1859,  and  a 
generation  has  grown  up  since  then.  Boys  who 
read  the  book  then — and  20,000  copies  of  it  were 
disposed  of  in  the  first  year — are  men  now.  I  have 
met    some    of  them,    and    they    have  thanked    me 


1885]  GUJEKATI  389 

heartily  for  my  words  of  encourag-ement.  One, 
whom  I  met  at  dinner  with  my  friend  Mrs  Songton, 
took  me  to  one  side,  and  said,  ''  I  have  often  wished 
to  meet  you,  and  to  thank  you  for  the  good  your 
books  have  done  me.  When  a  young-  man,  I  was 
on  the  slide  downward.  I  was  careless,  thoughtless, 
and  a  searcher  after  pleasure.  Some  one  made  me 
a  present  of  your  Self-Helpy  and  it  saved  me  from  the 
downward  course.  It  became  my  manual :  I  read  it 
constantly,  in  the  morning-  and  at  night.  I  read  it 
during  a  long  railway  journey.  And  then  I 
endeavoured  to  put  its  lessons  into  practice.  It  gave 
me  courage ;  it  gave  me  strength.  I  became  sober, 
punctual,  attentive,  and  trustworthy.  I  worked  per- 
severingly ;  at  length  I  was  taken  as  a  partner  into 
the  firm  with  which  I  am  connected,  and  now  I  am  a 
prosperous  man."  I  have  seen  the  gentleman  since, 
and  he  is  still  profuse  in  his  congratulations. 

Only  a  year  ago  an  Indian,  of  Bombay,  Dhanji- 
bhdi  Dorabji  Gilder,  writing  to  me  requesting  per- 
mission to  translate  Self-Help,  Character,  Thrift,  and 
Duty,  into  Gujerati,  said,  "  I  have  read  your  in- 
valuable work  Self-Help  at  least  half  a  dozen  times, 
and  am  greatly  charmed  with  it."  Another  corre- 
spondent, a  medical  man  near  London,  says  he  writes 
to  me  out  of  sheer  gratitude,  thanking  me  for  the 
help  and  cheerfulness  which  my  books  have  infused 
into  his  life.  '*  I  wish,"  he  says,  ''that  every  young 
man  might  read  them,  and  be  stimulated  to 
further  endeavours  to  do  his  duty  to  God  and  man." 
Another,  a  curate  in  a  country  church,  says,  "  I 
should  like  to  say  what  an  immense  help  your  books 
Self-Help  and  Character  have  been  to  myself,  from 
the  age  of  eighteen.  I  think  I  may  say,  next  to  the 
Bible,  I  have  read  thern  more  than  any  other  works, 


390  APPRECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

and  am  always  indebted  to  them  for  the  stimulus 
which  I  obtain  from  them.  I  find  them  invaluable  for 
illustrations  in  my  addresses  and  sermons."  Another 
young-  fellow,  whom  I  greatly  esteem,  has  sentences 
from  my  books  stuck  up  in  ornamental  characters  on 
the  wall  of  his  bedroom,  which  he  studies  every  day, 
and  endeavours  to  carry  into  practice.  There  is  a 
fine  memorial  to  a  good  man,  which  I  saw  in  the 
Church  of  St  Maria  degli  Angeli  (which  opens  from 
the  Diocletian  Baths)  at  Rome,  which  I  hope  might 
be  mine.     I  think  the  words  run  as  follows  : — 

"  Virtute  vixit, 
Memoria  vivit, 
Gloria  vivet." 

Notwithstanding  such  words  of  praise,  I  have,  as 
already  stated,  been  taken  pretty  sharply  to  task 
for  not  having  said  anything  about  those  who  failed. 
One  writer  said  that  the  greatest  of  men  as  well  as 
the  Son  of  God  failed  and  was  crucified.  Another 
writer — a  poet — has  recently  repeated  the  same  idea, 
in  some  fine  verses  :  * — 

"  Behold  the  leader  of  a  vanquished  cause, 
His  arms  extended  on  the  bitter  Cross  ! " 

I  think  this  scarcely  fair.  A  great  deed  of  sacrifice, 
destined  from  all  eternity,  should  not  be  put  in  com- 
parison with  the  little  deeds  of  man  on  this  transitory 
earth.  But  was  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  really  a  failure, 
and  was  Christianity  a  vanquished  cause?  I  have 
no  wish  to  discuss  the  question.  The  virtues  of 
constancy,  energy,  perseverance,  industry,  patience, 
accuracy,  cheerfulness,  hope,  self-denial,  self-culture, 
self-respect,    power    of    good    example,    nobility    of 

*  spectator,  19th  December  1885—"  On  last  looking  into  Smiles's 
Self- Help  r 


1885]  FAILURE  AND  SUCCESS  391 

character,  which  form  the  subjects  and  illustrations 
of  my  book,  are  not  only  compatible  with  Christianity, 
but,  in  my  opinion,  form  the  essential  characteristics 
of  it.  I  did  not  pretend  to  teach  divinity,  but  to  lay 
down  a  few  of  the  more  important  lessons,  as  guides 
to  this  daily  work-a-day  life  ;  so  very  important  while 
it  lasts,  though  so  soon  to  come  to  an  end. 

One  of  the  above  writers  asked,  ''Why  should 
not  Failure  have  its  Plutarch  as  well  as  Success  ? " 
The  poet  asked,  '*  Is  there  no  Homer  for  the  beaten 
side  ? "  There  is  no  reason  whatever  why  those  who 
fail  should  not  have  their  Plutarch  and  their  Homer. 
The  world  of  letters  is  wide,  and  the  task  is  there 
for  those  who  choose  to  take  it  up.  But  I  have 
already  given  a  sufficient  answer  to  this  charge  in 
the  preface  to  the  last  edition  of  Self-Help,  and  there 
is  no  need  to  pursue  it. 

I  might,  however,  illustrate  the  subject  by  a  little 
anecdote.  Two  ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland 
were  deputed  to  visit  some  congregations  in  the 
Highlands.  In  the  course  of  their  tour,  they  had  to 
cross  a  ferry.  They  entered  the  boat,  which  was 
rowed  by  a  single  oarsman.  The  ferry  was  wide  :  in 
fact,  it  was  a  loch  or  fiord  running  up  among  the 
mountains.  The  winds  are  very  treacherous  in  those 
parts.  When  the  boat  had  got  half-way  across  a 
heavy  storm  arose,  the  waves  dashed  over  the 
passengers,  and  they  thought  they  might  be  lost. 
One  of  the  ministers  proposed  to  offer  up  a  prayer. 
The  Highland  boatman  overheard  him,  and  said, 
''The  wee  ane  may  pray,  but  the  big  ane  maun  tak 
an  oar."  The  ministers  prayed  and  worked  together. 
The  strong  arms  of  the  "big  ane,"  with  the  help  of 
the  Highlandman,  sent  the  boat  rapidly  through  the 
water,  and  they  reached  the  opposite  shore  in  safety. 


392  APPRECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

''Weel  done,  the  big  ane,"  said  the  boatman.     The 
**bigf  ane"  was  the  late  Dr  Norman  Macleod. 

One  of  those  who  failed,  wrote  to  me,  a  few  years 
ago,  the  following  very  touching  letter  : — 


''Dear  Sir, — 

"A  modern  Quixote  (who  has,  howeyer, 
more  serious  foes  than  windmills  to  contend  with) 
humbly  asks  for  a  few  words  of  friendly  advice  and 
encouragement  from  a  true  friend :  for  such  have 
you  been  to  me  (without  your  knowledge,  it  is 
true),  but  not  unintentionally,  for  I  am  one  of  the 
monster  generation  now  struggling  into  manhood, 
and  to  that  you  have  been  talking  for  years,  by  means 
of  your  delightful  books.  I  have  this  minute  laid 
aside  your  Self-Help- — ^a  faithful,  though,  I  fear,  a 
much  neglected  companion  for  years,  and  I  was  much 
struck  by  a  passage  referring  to  mutual  support^ 
combined  with  which  you  quote  those  words  of 
Wordsworth,  where  he  says  that  manly  dependence 
and  manly  independence  go  hand  in  hand  to  form 
true  manhood.^ 

**  It  immediately  occurred  to  me  how  much  a  few 
lines  of  advice  might  help  me  on  my  way,  and  in  the 
face  of  the  tenets  of  this  '  age  of  stone ' — where  the 
spirits  of  the  departed  must  materialise  ere  we 
believe  in  them — I  dare  to  write  to  one  personally  a 
perfect  stranger,  but  intellectually  one  of  my  greatest 
friends.  I  am  '  a  miserable  idler ' ;  over  twenty  years 
of  age  ;  and  my  ignorance  is  lamentable.  With  fairly 
average  abilities,  I  see  others  passing  me  daily  in 
the  race.  I  cannot  work,  and  yet  I  am  miserable  in 
consequence.  I  am  not,  I  trust,  as  yet  enslaved  in 
vice,  but  the  agony  and  despair  my  idleness  entails 
upon  me,  must  soon  guide  me  to  the  bourne  from 
whence  it  is  hard  to  return. 

''The  only  happy  time  I  know  is  when  I  have 
some  compulsory  employment.  I  see  others  equally 
idle  with  myself,  but  they  are  happy  in  some 
mysterious  manner  ;  their  consciences  do  not  seem  to 
annoy  them ;  and  I,  I  fear,  losing  all  ambition,  will 
soon  become  the  same — like  the  fabled  Lotus  eaters 
— without  hope  and  without  care.     A  pleasant  life, 


1885]  A  TOUCHING  LETTER  393 

forsooth,  for  a  man — a  creature  endowed  with  so 
many  wonderful  ideas. 

"  Sometimes  I  sit  down  for  a  short  time,  perhaps 
to  write,  perhaps  to  some  sterner  and  more  clearly- 
defined  duty ;  but  soon  my  foe  seeks  me  out,  and 
suggests  that  I  defer  the  duty  (perchance  a  congenial 
one)  to  some  other  day,  which,  of  course,  means 
indefinitely. 

''To  think,  with  all  my  opportunities,  how  much  I 
might  know,  how  high  up  I  might  stand  in  my 
profession,  how  my  wages  might  be  doubled,  if  I  had 
only  chosen  to  work — instead  of  frittering  away  my 
time^  upon  some  trivial  objects,  or  succumbing  to  a 
horrible  oblivion,  a  death  in  life,  total  paralysis  of  the 
mind,  a  body  without  a  soul,  a  life  all  the  more 
terrible  from  momentary  glimpses  of  a  better  life. 
And  now,  Sir,  it  is  to  you  that  I  now  take  the  great 
liberty  of  writing  and  further  requesting  a  few  lines 
of  advice  and  encouragement  to  one  who  is  almost 
without  hope. 

'*  It  cannot  be  entirely  from  physical  causes,  as  I 
live  quietly  enough.  I  take  it,  that  it  is  from  early 
novel  reading,  and  a  too  warm  imagination,  with  a 
strong  mixture  of  vanity,  etc.  Pardon  my  writing, 
dear  Sir,  and  if  ever  I  become  known  to  you,  I  trust 
that  your  advice  has  not  been  thrown  to  the  wind,  but 
has  taken  root  in  ground  not  wholly  bad,  and  has 
blossomed  in  eternity.     Faithfully  yours,  in  secrecy, 


I  do  not  give  the  name  and  address,  as  I  do  not 
know  whether  the  poor  fellow  who  wrote  the  above 
letter  is  alive.  I  answered  it,  but  what  could  I  say  ? 
I  could  only  urge  him  to  persevere,  to  get  into  the 
right  path  and  keep  there,  for  he  had  evidently 
plenty  of  ability,  and  should  have  had  enough  of  self- 
respect  and  self-control  to  back  it.  I  filled  up  my 
letter  with  thoughts  like  these ;  but  it  never  reached 
him.  In  a  few  days  it  was  returned  through  the 
Dead  Letter  Office,  with  the  words  written  on  it, 
** not  known."  Yet  I  addressed  my  letter  according 
to  the  exact  address  he«had  given  me. 


394  APPRECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

I  have  often  been  amazed  and  distressed  to  find 
what  a  number  of  helpless  and  idle  creatures  exist 
in  this  busy  world.  Some  of  them  think  that  it 
is  want  of  "luck"  that  attends  them;  but  when 
I  make  inquiry,  I  find  that  it  is  oftener  careless- 
ness and  indifference,  idleness  and  a  tendency  to 
viciousness ;  and  very  often  the  break-down  of 
character  of  these  unhappy  people  comes  from  their 
devotion  to  drink  and  its  sordid  accompaniments.  It 
is  not  so  much  the  want  of  mental  powers  as  the  lack 
of  will  and  self-help.  They  will  do  nothing-  for  them- 
selves, but  expect  other  people  to  help  them  ;  and 
when  they  have  been  put  in  a  position  to  make  an 
honest  living,  they  suddenly  break  down,  and  then 
they  have  to  begin  again  at  the  beginning.  Not 
exactly  at  the  beginning,  for  they  have  put  them- 
selves back  in  the  world,  and  (their  character  being 
deteriorated  by  their  previous  failure)  they  have 
to  start  again  from  a  lower  level  than  before. 
Sometimes  they  send  round  begging  letters ;  their 
story  is  miserable — a  wife,  children,  and  no  money ; 
the  rent  to  pay,  and  nothing  to  pay  it  with ; 
otherwise  the  furniture  will  be  seized,  and  they 
will  be  left  destitute.  It  is  difficult  to  refuse  such 
applications,  and  when  once  you  have  yielded,  you 
are  thought  cruel  if  you  afterwards  refuse.  I  have 
known  many  men  who  might  have  made  themselves 
independent  through  the  exercise  of  moderate  frugality 
and  self-control,  yet  who  have  been  under  the 
necessity  of  descending  to  these  degrading  conditions. 
I  am  disposed  to  agree  with  Conversation  Sharpe,  a 
man  of  large  experience,  who  said  : — 


"  Untoward  actions  will  sometimes  happen ;  but 
after  many  years  of  thoughtful  experience,  I  can  truly 


1887]  ITALY  AGAIN  395 

say,  that  nearly  all  those  who  begfan  life  with  me 
have  succeeded  as  they  deserved  to  succeed,  or  they 
have  failed  as  they  deserved  to  fail." 

Carlyle,  too,  has  said  a  great  word  for  Perseverance. 

"Perseverance,"  he  says,  ''I  particularly  respect: 
it  is  the  hing-e  of  all  the  virtues.  On  looking-  over  the 
world,  the  cause  of  nine-tenths  in  ten  of  the  lament- 
able failures  which  occur  in  men's  undertaking-s,  and 
darken  and  degrade  so  much  of  their  history,  lies  not 
in  the  want  of  talents  or  the  will  to  use  them,  but  in 
the  vacillating  and  desultory  mode  of  using  them  ;  in 
flying  from  object  to  object,  in  starting  away  at  each 
little  disgust,  and  thus  applying  the  force  which  mig-ht 
conquer  any  difficulty  to  a  series  of  difficulties  that  no 
human  force  can  conquer.  .  .  .  Commend  me,  there- 
fore, to  the  Dutch  virtue  of  perseverance.  Without 
it,^  all  the  rest  are  little  better  than  fairy  gold,  which 
glitters  in  your  purse,  but  when  taken  to  market 
proves  to  be  only  slate  or  cinders." 

February  1887.- — I  little  thought  when  I  last  left 
Rome,  that  I  should  ever  again  visit  the  eternal 
city.  There  is  a  tradition  that  if  you  drink  the 
waters  of  the  fountain  of  Trevi,  and  hide  some  money 
there  before  departing,  you  are  sure  to  return.  The 
tradition  has,  at  all  events,  proved  true  in  my  case, 
for  on  a  fine  moonlight  evening  I  drank  the  waters, 
hid  some  coin,  and  after  eight  years'  absence,  I  am 
in  Rome  again.  "^^ 

We  returned  to  London  on  the  5th  of  May. 

Everything  was  then  far  advanced  towards  the 
celebration  of  the  Queen's  Jubilee.  I  was  born  in 
the  reign  of  George  III.     I   remember  that  king's 

*  There  follows  in  the  MS.  a  long  account  of  Dr  Smiles's  second 
visit  to  Italy,  and  of  the  hospitality  and  attention  with  which  he  was 
received.  It  is,  however,  only  a  note  of  travels,  which  it  has  been 
thought  better  to  omit. — Ed., 


396  APPRECIATION  FROM  FOREIGNERS 

death,  and  the  accession  of  his  son  George  IV.  I 
saw  that  monarch  during-  his  visit  to  Edinburgh  in 
1822.  William  IV.  followed,  and  reigned  for  several 
years ;  and  then  came  the  accession  of  the  noble, 
virtuous,  and  ever  to  be  esteemed  Victoria — the 
mother  of  her  people. 

I  did  not  intend  to  take  any  part  in  the  celebration 
of  the  Jubilee,  except  lighting  up  my  windows  on 
the  2 1  St  of  June.  But  the  Lord  Mayor  sent  me 
an  invitation  to  the  '*  Banquet  to  Representatives  of 
Literature,  Science,  and  Art,"  held  on  the  Saturday 
preceding  the  commemoration,  and  I  had  the  plea- 
sure of  attending  that  specially  interesting  meeting. 
Still  more  agreeable  was  the  invitation  which  I  received 
from  Lord  Lathom,  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  to  attend 
Her  Majesty's  Jubilee  Thanksgiving  Service  in 
Westminster  Abbey  on  Tuesday  the  21st  of  June. 
The  procession  from  Buckingham  Palace  to  West- 
minster Abbey  was  distinguished  principally  for  the 
admirable  behaviour  of  the  immense  crowd  which 
assembled  along  the  streets  to  witness  the  procession. 
The  procession  was  too  much  divided  to  be  imposing : 
it  was  not  to  compare  with  that  of  the  King  of  Italy's 
birthday.  But  it  made  up  in  spirit  and  cheers  what 
it  wanted  in  music  and  military  effect. 

The  commemoration  in  Westminster  Abbey  was 
much  more  important.  But  I  need  not  describe  that 
memorable  event.  The  concourse  of  people  was 
remarkable,  including  as  it  did,  princes  and  royalties  ; 
men  and  women  of  mark  from  all  parts  of  the  world  ; 
the  Queen  and  her  illustrious  Royal  Family,  not  the 
least  of  whom  were  her  eldest  daughter  the  Crown 
Princess  of  Prussia,  and  her  noble  husband  the  Crown 
Prince,  who  looked  every  inch  a  king.  Pens  better 
than  mine  have  described  that  great  event.      The 


1887]  THE  QUEEN'S  JUBILEE  397 

ceremony,  especially  the  last  part  of  it,  when  the 
Queen  called  her  sons  and  daughters  to  her  side, 
and  gave  them  severally  her  kiss  and  her  blessing, 
was  of  the  most  touching  description.  All  honour 
to  that  thoroughly  good,  humane,  and  noble  woman, 
the  best  of  wives  and  the  best  of  mothers.  She  has 
maintained  the  virtue  of  her  court,  ruled  her  people 
wisely,  and  ever  constitutionally,  during  her  reign  of 
fifty  years,  and  will  always  be  remembered  as  the 
best  and  wisest  Queen  that  has  ever  sat  upon  the 
British  throne. 

After  the  commemoration  of  the  Queen's  Jubilee, 
London  rapidly  emptied.  At  the  end  of  July,  my 
wife  and  I  went  over  to  Belfast  to  see  my  son,  his 
wife,  and  my  numerous  grandchildren  there — eight 
in  one  family.  We  were  most  royally  entertained, 
and  saw  much  of  that  vigorous  town,  so  celebrated 
for  its  flax  manufactures,  its  shipbuilding,  and  its 
manifold  industries.  There  we  renewed  many  old 
friendships,  and  made  many  new  ones,  and  thence, 
we  went  across  the  Irish  Sea  to  Barrow — a  place 
that  has  grown  from  a  village  to  the  dimensions  of 
a  city  during  my  lifetime.  Then  to  Brent  How, 
to  see  a  dear  friend,  and  witness  the  annual  sports  at 
Grasmere.  We  had  seen  them  some  seventeen  years 
ago.  Then,  it  was  a  simple  village  festival :  now,  it 
is  like  a  racecourse  with  four-in-hands,  stage-coaches 
from  Windermere,  barouches,  waggonettes,  gigs  of 
all  sorts,  and  a  multitude  of  people.  What  would 
Wordsworth  have  thought  if  he  had  been  alive  ? 

After  a  visit  to  Lancashire  we  journeyed  to 
Harrogate  to  drink  the  nectar  of  that  famous 
watering-place,  and  returned  home  after  about  six 
weeks'  absence. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

TRANSLATIONS ROYAT ITALY 

In  October  1887,  I  received  a  present  from  General 
Edelmiro  Mayer,  Buenos  Ayres,  which  gfave  me 
much  pleasure.  It  consisted  of  four  octavo  volumes, 
beautifully  bound  in  Russian  morocco,  gilt-edged, 
printed  in  fine  type,  and  contained  in  a  case,  over 
which  was  inscribed,  El  Evangelio  Social^  **The 
Social  Gospel."  On  examining  the  books,  I  found 
they  consisted  of  four  of  my  works,  translated  into 
Spanish.  One  of  them  was  Character,  which  had 
gone  through  five  editions ;  another  was  Duty,  four 
editions ;  Self- Help,  three  editions ;  and  Thrift, 
which  had  just  been  published.  The  first  editions  of 
Character  and  Duty  were  exhausted  on  the  day  that 
they  appeared. 

It  seems  that  General  Mayer  had  been  engaged 
in  the  American  Civil  War,  1861-65,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  had  learnt  English  thoroughly,  and  was 
consequently  able  to  translate  the  works  into  Spanish, 
his  native  language.  The  volumes  were  accompanied 
by  criticisms  from  the  Buenos  Ayres  press,  in  which 
General  Mayer  was  complimented  for  his  patriotism, 
his  literary  ability,  and  the  honour  he  had  done  to 
his  country  in  translating  these  works  for  the  benefit 
of  the  public.      Religion   was   asleep  or  dead,    but 


1887]    PUBLISHED  IN  BUENOS  AYRES   399 

morality  remained ;  and  the  translator,  it  was  said, 
had  performed  an  honest  man's  work  by  publishing 
in  the  Spanish  language  the  work  on  Character,  at  a 
time  when  a  high  ideal  of  personal  character  is  pro- 
claimed in  a  manner,  only  feeble  and  intermittent. 
The  works  most  read  in  Buenos  Ayres  were  those  of 
Paul  de  Kock,  Zola,  Rousseau,  and  others,  "only 
fit,"  it  was  said,  *'for  the  hands  of  the  common 
hangman." 

Faustino  Jorge,  chief  justice  of  Buenos  Ayres, 
congratulated  General  Mayer  on  having  translated 
those  works,  "which  will  so  greatly  benefit  our 
society." 

^  "Nowadays,"  he  said,  "when  we  notice  that  the 
principles  of  morality  are  almost  forgotten,  and  bad 
actions  generally  escape  the  just  punishment  of 
reprobation,  now  that  indifference  or  selfishness  influ- 
ence the  manifestations  of  our  social  life,  I  think  that 
these  works  have  come  out  at  an  opportune  moment. 
Untruthfulness,  against  which  the  author  wages  war, 
the  principles  of  morality  which  he  develops  with  so 
much  effect,  and  'the  right  road'  which  he  traces 
with  a  master  hand,  are  themes  requiring  the  atten- 
tion of  every  one  of  his  readers,  who  can  temper  his 
spirit  and  modify  his  conduct.  Edelmiro,  my  friend, 
you  cannot  imagine  the  joy  I  feel  in  seeing  you  follow 
this  road,  and  dedicating  the  passing  hours  of  your 
life  to  an  intellectual  work  whicn  dignifies  and 
gratifies  the  heart,  the  mind,  and  the  soul." 

The  Ex- President  of  the  Argentine  Republic 
informed  General  Mayer  that  he  had  Character  at 
his  bedside,  and  that  it  should  be  at  the  bedside  of 
every  man.  The  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  said 
that,  if  laid  to  heart,  it  would  prove  more  useful  than 
all  the  charitable  societies  put  together.  But  the 
lady  poetess,  Josephina  Polliza  de  Sagasta,  was  even 
,more  enthusiastic  in  h^r  eulogium.     "To  diffuse  the 


400    TRANSLATIONS—ROY  AT— ITALY 

pure  doctrines  contained  in  these  works,"  she  said, 
**as  you  (General  Mayer)  have  done  by  translating 
them,  is  to  offer  to  erring  humanity,  perhaps  doubtful 
of  the  old  faith,  a  religion,  perhaps  the  only  one  free 
from  the  influence  and  modifications  of  progressive 
time.  The  doctrines  of  these  books  form  a  school  of 
true  consolation — their  holy  motto  being,  '  The  Clear- 
ness of  Conscience.' " 

It  is  not  possible  to  cite  the  testimonies  of  the 
Buenos  Ayres  press.  They  would  bring  a  blush 
to  the  author's  and  even  the  translator's  cheeks. 
The  books  were  recommended  to  be  read  by  young 
and  old — by  youths  and  maidens,  as  well  as  by 
those  of  middle  and  even  of  advanced  age.  L Antic o 
del  Popolo  said  of  Duty,  "In  the  hour  of  greatest 
despair,  when  courage  weakens  and  faith  fails,  the 
reading  of  a  few  of  its  pages,  and  the  heroic 
examples  mentioned  in  the  work,  will  evoke  the 
needed  valour,  and  stimulate  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  duty,  even  though  it  be  at  the  sacrifice  of 
life."  The  Standard  of  Buenos  Ayres  said,  ''  Rome 
gave  a  crown  to  him  who  saved  the  life  of  a  citizen. 
How  many  crowns  shall  we  award  to  General  Mayer 
for  providing  healthy  reading  for  his  countrymen  ? " 
My  last  quotation  must  be  from  the  Deutsche  La 
Plata  Zeitung :  "Alexander  the  Great  slept  with 
his  Homer,  Demosthenes,  and  Thucydides ;  and 
every  notable  man  of  the  times  should  have  at 
hand  The  Social  Gospel." 

It  may  not  be  without  interest  to  mention  the 
various  languages  and  dialects  into  which  Self-Help, 
Character,  and  my  other  works  have  been  translated. 
The  first  translation  of  Self  Help  appeared  in  Dutch  ; 
then  in  German  (two  translations) ;  Italian  ;  French  ; 
Spanish  (at  Madrid  and  Buenos  Ayres) ;  Portuguese 


1888]  LIFE  OF  JOHN  MURRAY  401 

(at  Rio  de  Janiero) ;  Russian  (two  translations)  ; 
Polish ;  Danish  ;  Norwegian ;  Swedish  ;  Czech  ; 
Croatian  ;  Hungarian  ;  Japanese  ;  Chinese  ;  Siamese  ; 
Turkish;  Armenian;  Pali;  Hindustani;  Gujerati ; 
Bengali ;  besides  numerous  reprints  in  the  United 
States  of  America. 

During-  the  months  of  February,  March,  and 
April,  1888,  I  resided  with  my  wife  at  Torquay,  and 
thereby  avoided  the  bitter  east  winds  of  London. 
As  we  grow  old,  we  are  less  able  to  resist  the  harsh- 
ness of  the  wind  from  that  quarter.  Charles  Kingsley 
wrote  some  verses  in  praise  of  the  east  wind ;  yet 
the  east  wind  helped  to  kill  him. 

During  my  stay  at  Torquay,  I  proceeded  with  a 
work  on  which  I  had  been  engaged,  at  intervals,  for 
many  years — I  mean  the  Life  and  Correspondence 
of  the  first  and  second  John  Murray.  It  involved  a 
great  deal  of  labour — reading  the  correspondence  of 
that  celebrated  publishing  house  for  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  century — from  the  times  of  Drs 
Langhorne  and  Johnson  to  Hallam,  Borrow,  and 
Head,  who  appeared  as  authors  in  comparatively 
recent  years.  The  earlier  letters  had  been  carefully 
analysed  and  docketed  by  Mr  John  Murray,  junior 
■ — now  the  fourth  of  the  series  of  distinguished 
publishers.  My  principal  work  was  in  reading  the 
letters,  and  abstracting  whatever  might  be  useful  in 
evolving  the  lives  of  the  first  and  second  John 
Murray.  It  was  a  sort  of  drag-horse  business ;  but 
I  had  agreed  to  undertake  it ;  and  I  proceeded  with  it 
to  the  best  of  my  ability.  Sometimes,  the  parcels  of 
letters  had  not  been  examined  and  docketed  ;  and  when 
more  could  not  be  had,  I  proceeded  with  some  other 
work;  for  I  could  never  bear  to  be  idle.     I  did  my 

literary  work  in  the  morning,  and  sometimes  in  the 

2  c 


402    TRANSLATIONS— KOYAT—ITALY 

afternoon  ;  devoting  the  rest  of  the  day  to  out-of-doors 
exercise.  At  length,  I  desired  to  have  the  whole  of 
the  remaining-  correspondence ;  and  I  could  then 
proceed  without  the  previous  examination  and 
docketing.  It  was  then  merely  a  question  of  reading 
and  abstracting;  and  in  course  of  time  I  saw  my 
way  to  the  end  of  the  work.  After  I  had  made  my 
extracts,  I  then  proceeded  to  weave  them  into  a 
narrative  of  the  life.  Of  course,  the  greater  part  of 
the  labour  was  connected  with  John  Murray  the 
second — the  great  John  Murray — publisher  of  the 
works  of  Byron,  Milman,  Washington  Irving,  Isaac 
Disraeli,  Barrow,  Hallam,  Heber,  Lockhart,  Crabbe, 
and  many  other  distinguished  men.  When  In  the 
autumn  of  1888  I  went  to  Royat  for  the  benefit  of  my 
wife,  who  went  through  a  course  of  the  baths  there, 
I  obtained  a  fresh  batch  of  the  correspondence,  and 
proceeded  with  the  work,  and  as  it  was  somewhat 
tedious  waiting  at  Royat  after  the  examination  of 
this  correspondence  had  been  completed,  I  resolved 
to  make  a  short  tour  round  the  south  of  France. 

At  Brive,  a  lady  and  gentleman  got  into  the 
carriage  In  which  I  was.  The  gentleman,  who  had 
been  imbibing  something  stronger  than  wine,  moved 
opposite  to  me  and  began  talking.  I  answered,  and 
the  lady,  finding  my  French  was  not  comme  ilfaut, 
said,  looking  at  me,  "You  are  English."  Then  5^^ 
began  talking.  She  was  a  native  of  Southampton, 
and  had  married  the  Frenchman  opposite,  who  did 
not  know  a  word  of  English.  She  could  therefore 
speak  very  freely.  She  had  a  bad  opinion  of  the 
French  Government,  and  of  the  French  army. 
*' There's  an  immense  lot  of  them,"  she  said,  "infantry, 
cavalry,   and  artillery.      But  they  are  of  little  use. 


1888]  MILITARY  BURDENS  408 

Of  course  they  must  fight.  They  are  raised  and 
paid  for  that — to  the  g-reat  oppression  of  the  French 
taxpayers."  "And  who  are  they  to  fight  with?" 
I  asked.  ''Oh,  of  course,  the  Germans.  But  the 
German  army  is  better  disciplined,  stronger,  and 
perhaps  braver.  The  French,  however,  are  not  to 
be  despised  for  their  bravery.  They  trust  to  their 
dlan.  Yet,  in  my  opinion,  they  cannot  stand  against 
the  Germans.  And  the  next  time  the  Germans 
invade  this  country,  they  will  take  a  much  larger 
slice  of  France  than  they  did  after  the  last  war. 
They  want  a  commercial  port,  and  a  war  port,  near 
the  Atlantic.  There  is  Havre,  a  commercial  port, 
and  Cherbourg,  a  war  port,  ready  to  their  hand. 
See  if  they  do  not  annex  the  original  country  of  the 
Teutonic  Franks  north  of  the  Seine."  "Well,"  said 
I,  "that  is  a  very  poor  prospect  for  France;  and  it 
also  means  a  danger  for  England."  "Well,"  she 
answered,  "I  cannot  help  it.  Time  will  show." 
The  train  then  stopped,  and  we  got  out  at 
Perigueux. 

In  further  illustration  of  the  effect  which  these 
great  armaments  have  on  the  imagination  of  the 
inhabitants,  I  mention  some  remarks  made  to  me  by 
a  waiter  at  Royat.  He  was  not  a  Frenchman,  but  an 
intelligent  Swiss.  In  answer  to  my  inquiry  as  to  the 
number  of  soldiers  at  Clermont  Ferrand  —  where 
Boulanger  was  in  command  a  few  years  ago — he  said, 
"  I  do  not  know ;  but  there  is  an  immense  number  of 
them  ;  and  you  see  the  new  barracks  constantly  being 
erected  round  Clermont."  "Yes;  that  looks  like 
war :  it's  of  little  use  having  masses  of  troops 
assembled  together  unless  fighting  be  meant."  "  Oh, 
yes,"  he  said,  "they  will  all  go  to  Germany!" 
."What?    as  invaders?"      "No;    as    prisoners;    as 


404    TRANSLATIONS— EOYAT— ITALY 

Bazaine's  and  Napoleon's  army  did."  Mr  Ham- 
merton,  in  his  work  on  French  and  English,  takes 
a  very  different  view.  The  French  will  not  go  to 
war,  he  says,  unless  they  are  cock-sure  of  victory. 
We  can  only  wait  to  see  the  result ;  but  a  sad  time 
seems  to  be  hanging-  over  Europe,  with  masses  of 
soldiers  standing-  at  arms- — all  withdrawn  from  labour 
— in  France,  Germany,  Austro- Hungary,  Italy,  and 
Russia ! 

Ferigueux  is  an  interesting  town,  full  of  ancient 
buildings.  Many  of  its  old  streets  are  narrow  and 
tortuous.  There  are  several  old  turrets  in  the  midst 
of  the  ancient  walls,  which  at  one  time  surrounded 
the  town.  Ferigueux  belonged  to  the  English  in  the 
fourteenth  century.  The  French  King  John  had 
been  taken  prisoner  by  the  English  army  at  Poitiers 
in  1356,  and  was  sent  to  London.  A  rearrangement 
of  the  French  provinces  took  place,  and  Aquitaine 
was  ceded  to  England.  During  the  time  of  the 
English  occupation,  the  Montaigne  family  settled 
in  Perigord.  I  knew  a  gentleman  in  London  some 
years  ago  who  claimed  a  relationship  with  the  French 
branch.  His  name  was  Michel  Montaigne.  He 
said  his  ancestors  had  remained  in  England,  while 
the  other  branch  of  the  family  had  gone  to  Aquitaine 
during  the  English  occupation.  The  chateau  in 
which  Michel  Montaigne  was  born,  in  1533,  is  still 
to  be  seen  near  Saint-Michel- Bonnepare  on  the 
river  Dordogne ;  with  his  sleeping  chamber  and  the 
place  of  his  library  covered  with  inscriptions  in  Latin 
and  Greek,  now  partly  effaced.  His  motto  was 
"Que  scais-je?" — What  do  I  know?  These  are 
said  to  have  been  the  last  words  he  uttered.  Emerson, 
in  his  Representative  Men,  describes  Montaigne  as 
The  Sceptic.     Gibbon  says  that  during  the  bigoted 


1888]  JASMIN  405 

sixteenth  century  there  were  only  two  men  of  liberality 
in  France — Henry  IV.  and  Montaigne. 

Havingr  seen  as  much  as  I  desired  to  see  of 
Perigueux,  I  proceeded  by  rail,  through  a  pleasant 
country,  to  Agen,  the  chief  town  of  the  department  of 
Lot-et-Garonne.  I  was  desirous  of  seeing  this  place, 
because  of  the  interest  I  felt  in  the  life  and  works  of 
Jacques  Jasmin,  who  was  not  only  a  poet  but  a 
barber  and  hairdresser!  Everyone  knows  the  fine 
translation  by  Longfellow,  of  Jasmin's  Blind  Girl  of 
Castel-Cuilld,  included  in  all  the  editions  of  his  works. 
I  had  also  read  the  review  of  Jasmin  by  that  masterly 
critic,  Sainte-Beuve,  in  his  Portraits  Contemporains 
(vol.  ii.),  as  well  as  his  notice  of  Jasmin  in  Causeries 
du  Ltmdi  (vol.  iv.).  More  than  thirty  years  ago, 
while  Jasmin  was  still  alive,  I  wrote  an  account  of 
him  for  a  London  weekly ;  and  some  years  since, 
when  asked  to  contribute  an  article  for  an  American 
paper  published  at  Boston,  I  supplied  a  paper  on  the 
same  subject. 

Jasmin,  though  of  very  lowly  condition,  did  much 
to  beautify  his  own  life,  as  well  as  the  lives  of  the 
people  amongst  whom  he  lived.  He  has  been  called 
the  Saint  Vincent  de  Paul  of  poetry.  Like  Burns, 
the  ploughman  of  Ayrshire,  and  Reboul,  the  baker  of 
Nismes,  Jasmin  was  a  man  of  true  poetic  fibre — 
happy  himself  and  the  cause  of  happiness  in  others. 
He  wrote  in  Gascon,  the  patois  of  his  district, 
like  Burns  in  his  Scottish  Doric,  and  touched  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  In  the  South  of  France, 
no  one  was  so  popular  as  himself  He  went  from 
town  to  town  reciting  his  poetry,  all  for  the  sake  of 
charity — receiving  crowns,  and  laurels,  and  medals — 
yet  he  was  always  happy  to  return  to  his  home  at 
Agen,  and  resume  his*  business  of  barber.     Though 


406    TRANSLATIONS— EOYAT— ITALY 

he  may  have  been  somewhat  vain,  he  was  not  spoilt 
by  his  success ;  but  to  the  end  of  his  life  he  was 
content  to  remain  in  his  humble  position. 

Agen  has  no  good  hotels ;  tourists  rarely  pass 
through,  or  stop  in  the  town.  I  put  up  at  the  Hotel 
du  Petit  St  Jean,  near  the  statue  erected  by  public 
subscription  to  the  memory  of  Jasmin,  in  the  Place 
Jasmin.  The  statue,  tall  and  imposing — with  his 
outstretched  hand,  as  if  reciting  one  of  his  own  poems 
— stands  nearly  opposite  the  little  shop  on  the 
Gravier,  in  which  he  carried  on  his  trade.  There  is 
no  other  statue  in  the  town,  except  that  erected  to 
the  Republic,  which  is  represented  by  a  beautiful 
woman.  And  yet  Palissy,  the  great  potter,  J.  J. 
Scaliger,  the  great  scholar,  and  Lacepede  and  Bory 
de  St  Vincent,  the  distinguished  naturalists,  were 
born  here  or  in  the  neighbourhood ;  but  no  statues 
have  been  erected  to  them.  Palissy,  however,  was 
a  Huguenot,  who  narrowly  escaping  death  at  the 
massacre  of  Saint  Bartholomew,  ended  his  life  in 
the  Bastille. 

I  first  went  in  search  of  the  birthplace  of  Jasmin. 
It  is  situated  in  a  poor  street,  in  a  poor  quarter — No. 
15  Rue  Fon  de  Rach6.  Jasmin  called  the  house  a 
*' palace  of  rats."  In  the  passage  the  rafters  are  still 
overhead ;  and  a  strong  beam  of  wood  supports  the 
roof  of  the  little  room  in  which  the  poet  was  born. 
I  next  went  to  the  Petit  Seminaire  in  the  Rue 
Montesquieu,  where  he  received  his  first  elements  of 
education.  Then  to  his  shop  on  the  Gravier,  behind 
the  avenue  of  lime  trees,  which  form  a  fine  promenade. 
In  front  of  the  door  was  an  extended  signboard 
marked  ''Coiffeur,"  with  a  barber's  basin  suspended 
at  the  end.  The  name  of  *'  Jasmin  "  still  stands  over 
the  door.     I  entered  the  shop,  and  found  a  barber 


1888]  JASMIN'S  HOME  407 

boy  shaving  a  fat  customer.  Making  an  apology  for 
my  intrusion,  I  was  invited  to  enter  the  little  room  at 
the  back  of  the  shop,  where  Jasmin  used  to  receive 
his  deputations,  and  exhibit  his  array  of  golden 
laurels,  and  where  his  wife  used  to  assist  him  in  the 
reception  of  distinguished  visitors. 

I  went  to  the  Place  de  Repos  of  Jasmin  In  the 
cemetery.  The  grave-digger,  even  at  that  early  hour 
of  the  day,  was  a  little  the  worse  of  liquor ;  but  he 
took  me  to  the  spot,  where  Jasmin's  son  had  erected 
a  monument  to  his  father's  memory,  "A  notre  bon 
Pere,"  at  the  highest  part  of  the  cemetery.  There  are 
added  the  words,  * 'Jasmin  fils  decede  le  27  Janvier, 
1885,  a  I'age  de  66  ans."  Jasmin's  body  had  at  first 
been  buried  among  the  graves  of  the  common  folks  ; 
and  his  son  had  removed  it  to  this  ornamental 
monument.  On  our  return,  the  grave-digger  pointed 
out  the  cross  under  which  was  buried  a  *'much  better 
poet  than  Jasmin,"  one  Delbes,  also  a  poor  man, 
whose  works  are  unknown  to  me. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  crossed  the  suspension  bridge 
over  the  Garonne.  The  people  seemed  to  be  making 
holiday.  The  river  was  alive  with  boats  and  bathers. 
On  arriving  at  the  other  side,  I  heard  a  drum  beating, 
and  went  to  see  what  was  to  do.  Not  far  from  the 
river,  I  found  a  number  of  men  and  women,  of  the 
working  order,  dancing  on  the  grass.  The  drum 
was  accompanied  by  a  fife,  and  the  musicians  beat 
and  blew  with  great  energy.  It  was  a  sort  of  country 
dance,  a  mixture  of  a  Scottish  reel  and  a  waltz.  At  a 
certain  part  of  the  music  the  dancers  clapped  their 
hands,  and  the  pairs  went  under  the  joined  hands  of 
the  leading  couple ;  just  as  in  the  English  Roger  de 
Coverley.  Some  of  the  dancers  were  very  spirited ; 
the  men  taking  the  girls  in  their  arms,  and  swinging 


408    TRANSLATIONS— EOYAT— ITALY 

them  round,  then  saluting  them  with  a  kiss.  Some 
of  the  dances  reminded  me  of  the  dance  in  Franzon- 
ette,  so  well  described  in  Jasmin's  poem. 

I  returned  to   Royat  by  another  route,  through 
Villefranche  and  Aurillac,  reaching  home  about  the 
beginning  of  September.     In  writing  the  life  of  John 
Murray,  which  I  began  at  the  end  of  1879,  I  found 
it  necessary  to  give  an  introduction  to   the  history 
of  publishing  and  bookselling ;  and  for  this  purpose 
I   read    and  abstracted   from   many  books.      Then 
there   was    the    life    and    history   of   Mr    Murray's 
father,  the  first  publisher  of  the  House  of  Murray. 
This  involved  the  examination  of  many  very  ancient 
letters  ;  and  next  the  birth,  education,  and  early  life 
of  the  main  subject  of  my  story.      I   must  say,    I 
sometimes  felt   very  much    wearied    at    the    heavy 
labour  involved  by  the  work  I  had  taken  in  hand ; 
and  sometimes  weeks  passed  before  I  could  extract 
a  few  grains  of  wheat  from  many  bushels  of  chaff. 
This    was,    however,    unavoidable ;    for    the    whole 
correspondence  must  be  read  and  sifted.    Eventually, 
after  years  had  passed,  I  found  myself  within  sight 
of  the  close  of  my  undertaking.     On  the  31st  of  July 
1888,  I  handed  to  Mr  Murray  the  Preface,  the  Intro- 
duction, the  "  Life  of  John  Murray  the  First,"  and  the 
first  three  chapters  of  the  ''  Life  of  John  Murray  the 
Second"   (the  Great   Murray);  and  having  worked 
steadily  at  the  correspondence,  I  was  able  to  hand  to 
Mr  Murray  Chapter  XXXIV.,  being  the  end  of  the 
work,  at  the  end  of  January  1889.    The  whole  formed 
about   2000  pages  of  manuscript,   written  on   post 
quarto  paper;  and  calculated  to  make  2  vols.   8vo, 
of  the  size  of  my  original  Lives  of  the  Engineers, 

Having  thus  finished  what  I  consider  to  be  a  very 
heavy  undertaking,   I  thought  myself  entitled  to  a 


1889]  LAST  VISIT  TO  ITALY  409 

holiday ;  and  where  can  one  turn  for  shelter  from  the 
east  winds  of  England,  but  to  Italy  and  the  South? 
Hence,  on  the  13th  of  February  1889 — after  I  had 
finished  copying  some  of  the  interesting  letters  of 
Mr  Murray  to  Lord  Byron — I  set  out  from  London 
for  Paris,  on  my  way  towards  the  south.  I  was 
accompanied  by  my  wife  and  her  maid,  and  by  a 
young-  lady,  the  daughter  of  a  dear  friend.  We  left 
behind  us  the  cold,  grey  atmosphere  of  London,  and 
in  four  days  were  basking  under  the  sun  of  the 
Riviera. 

After  a  few  days'  stay  at  Monte  Carlo,  we  set  out 
for  Rome ;  and  after  a  night's  journey,  arrived  there 
in  the  morning.  It  was  my  third  visit  to  Rome,  and 
it  is  unnecessary  to  describe  the  various  sights  which 
we  saw  there.  We  visited  old  friends,  and  made 
many  new  ones.  Shortly  after  my  arrival,  I  was 
"interviewed"  by  Professor  Paladini,  and  a  notice 
of  my  arrival  in  Rome  appeared  from  his  pen  in  the 
Riforma.  The  other  daily  papers  followed.  I  had 
then  no  end  of  visitors,  and  invitations  to  evening 
receptions.  Among  the  first  that  I  attended  was  one 
at  the  house  of  Mr  Morris  Moore,  Professor  of 
English  at  the  University  of  Rome.  There  I  met, 
amongst  other  illustrious  persons,  Signor  Cesari 
Donati,  the  translator  o{  Self- Help  into  Italian  several 
years  ago,  under  the  title  of  Chi  si  aiuta  Dio  faiuta, 
Signor  Donati  informed  me  that  the  translation  had 
gone  through  eighteen  editions,  and  over  75,000 
copies  had  been  sold — an  extraordinary  circulation 
for  Italy.  He  also  told  me  that  my  works  had  tended 
to  imbue  the  rising  generation  with  self-respect  as 
well  as  self-help,  and  that  those  who  had  read  Thrift 
saved  their  earnings  for  future  needs,  instead  of 
throwing  them  away  upon  State  Lotteries.     I  came 


410    TRANSLATIONS— EOYAT— ITALY 

to  the  conclusion  that  I  am  much  better  known  in 
Italy  than  at  home;  indeed,  I  have  received  more 
recognition  there  from  the  King  and  Queen  down  to 
the  humblest  of  their  subjects  than  in  my  own  country. 
On  the  King's  birthday,  the  14th  of  March,  I 
received  an  invitation  from  Commendatore  Bonghi, 
a  deputy  of  the  Italian  Parliament,  and  President  of 
the  Press  Association,  to  attend  a  special  reception 
in  my  honour  at  the  rooms  of  the  society.  His  letter 
was  as  follows  : — 

''  My  dear  Sir, — 

' '  Amongst  contemporary  English  authors 
there  is  no  one  better  known,  or  more  heartily 
admired  in  Italy,  than  yourself  The  Press  Associa- 
tion in  Rome,  of  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be 
President,  desires  to  express  this  fact  in  a  concrete 
form,  by  asking  you  to  honour  with  your  presence  a 
soiree  to  be  given  at  the  rooms  of  the  Association 
(Via  delle  Missione)  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the 
14th  inst.,  at  9i  o'clock.  We  hope  to  gather  together 
a  fair  number  of  your  compatriots,  and  of  your 
American  cousins,  ^  who  otherwise  might  have  no 
opportunity  of  offering  their  greetings  to  the  author 
oi  Self- Help,  as  well  as  many  Italians  to  whom  your 
name  is  already  a  household  word.  In  their  names, 
and  in  my  own  as  a  brother  of  the  Pen,  I  ask  you 
and  Mrs  Smiles  to  accept  the  cordial  invitation  of  the 
Press  Association,  and  beg  to  subscribe  myself, 
faithfully  yours, 

"R.  Bonghi. 

"Camera  dei  deputati,  Rome, 
"  13M  March  1889." 

I  accepted  this  invitation  with  pleasure.  On  our 
appearance  at  the  rooms  of  the  Association,  Signor 
Bonghi  took  my  wife  under  his  protection  ;  I  followed, 
with  Mrs  Rowland  Taylor ;  then  Professor  Paladini, 
with  Miss  Nora  Hargrove.  The  room  was  crowded  ; 
we  were  received  with  applause  as  we  approached  the 


1889]    A  RECEPTION  IN  MY  HONOUR    411 

adis,  where  the  musical  performers  were  assembled. 
We  were  informed  by  Signor  Bongfhi  that  telegrams 
had  been  received  from  Venice  and  Florence.  The 
message  from  Venice  saluted  the  author  ''whose 
story  of  the  triumphs  and  heroisms  of  English 
industry  was  educating  the  rising  generation  of 
Italians  in  honesty,  courage,  and  perseverance." 

Professor  Paladini  said,  "You  will  have  a  real 
Italian  evening";  and  it  was  so.  Happily,  there 
were  no  speeches,  but  introductions,  conversation, 
and  music. 

Signor  Bonghi  said  that  he  had  received  a  letter 
from  Signor  Crispi,  Prime  Minister,  **  regretting  his 
inability  to  offer  in  person  his  salutation  to  the 
illustrious  author,  because  of  the  diplomatic  dinner 
of  the  year,  held  on  the  King's  birthday,  at  which  he 
was  called  upon  to  preside."  Notwithstanding  this 
circumstance,  many  distinguished  persons  were 
present.  The  Minister  of  Finance,  to  whom  I  was 
introduced,  paid  me  a  pleasant  compliment :  **  I  have 
had  my  children  educated,"  he  said,  **  by  reading  your 
books."  There  were  many  ladies  present,  Italian, 
American,  and  English ;  one  of  the  last,  who  must 
surely  have  been  a  Scotswoman,  told  me  that  she 
had  been  ''  brought  up  on  oatmeal  and  Character, 
and  had  found  the  diet  most  invigorating."  A  very 
pretty  compliment ! 

Not  long  after,  I  was  asked  by  Guglielmo  de 
Sanctis,  President  of  the  Society  of  International 
Artists,  to  sit  for  my  portrait.  The  request  came  to 
me  through  Mrs  Rowland  Taylor,  who  said,  "We 
cannot  have  you  with  us  always,  and  we  desire  to 
retain  a  recollection  of  you  in  your  portrait."  I 
accordingly  accompanied  Mrs  Taylor  to  my  first 
sitting.     The  lady  kept  up  a  lively  conversation,  and 


412     TRANSLATIONS— ROYAT— ITALY 

under  these  favourable  conditions,  the  artist  made 
considerable  progress.  Next  day,  I  gave  him  two 
sittings,  but  at  the  end  of  the  second,  De  Sanctis 
said,  '*  I  must  have  you  talking  cheerfully ;  I  cannot 
put  life  into  your  face  unless  you  converse  with  spirit 
and  frankness.  Bring  with  you  to-morrow  some 
ladies  to  talk  to  and  amuse  you."  On  the  following 
day,  I  took  with  me  my  wife  and  Miss  Hargrove ; 
and  after  an  hour's  sitting  and  talking,  De  Sanctis 
finished  a  very  spirited  sketch. 

At  the  middle  of  March,  we  visited  Naples  and 
Pompeii. 

After  visiting  the  antiquities  at  the  museum,  we 
proceeded  to  inspect  an  institution  of  a  more  modern 
character  —  the  Frobel  Institution  established  at 
Naples  by  Mrs  Salis  Schwabe  a  few  years  ago.  It 
may  be  mentioned  that,  before  Italy  became  united 
under  Victor  Emmanuel  II.,  the  first  constitutional 
king,  popular  education  was  very  much  neglected. 
In  Naples  and  Sicily,  under  the  reign  of  King  Bomba, 
next  to  nothing  was  done.  Naples  was  the  home  of 
the  Lazzaroni ;  willing  to  beg,  but  not  willing  to 
work  ;  poor,  idle,  uneducated,  yet  by  no  means  un- 
happy. Even  the  dirty  and  tattered  are  merry.  The 
climate  is  so  delicious,  that  but  few  clothes  are 
needed ;  and,  as  for  food,  a  little  maccaroni  satisfies 
the  poor  man's  appetite.  Indeed,  with  such  a  genial 
atmosphere,  a  house  is  scarcely  needed  for  shelter. 
Hence  begging  is  a  kind  of  legitimate  trade,  and  not 
considered  a  disgrace.  The  idle  man  lying  on  the 
pedestal  of  a  statue,  holds  out  his  hand ;  the  boy 
lying  on  a  passing  waggon  does  the  same.  An 
emblematic  statue  representing  Naples,  would  be  a 
person  holding  out  an  open  hand. 


1889]  WOMEN'S  EDUCATION  IN  ITALY  413 

Climate  has  thus  a  g-ood  deal  to  do  with  the 
condition  of  the  humbler  classes  of  Naples,  longf 
enslavement  and  degradation  have  done  the  rest.  In 
northern  climes,  men  must  work  at  remunerative 
wages  in  order  to  be  sheltered,  to  dress,  and  to  gain 
the  elements  of  subsistence ;  whereas,  in  Naples,  the 
sun  is  almost  sufficient,  with  a  few  soldi  for  maccaroni. 
Then  political  slavery  has  done  much  to  lower  the 
national  character,  and  efface  all  desire  to  rise  to  a 
higher  moral  and  intellectual  condition. 

Garibaldi  was  aware  of  these  conditions,  and 
desired  to  remedy  them,  so  far  as  he  could.  After 
his  victories  over  the  Neapolitan  troops  at  Reggio 
and  San  Giovanni,  and  the  proclamation  of  Victor 
Emmanuel  as  King  of  Italy,  at  Naples,  Garibaldi 
issued  an  address  to  the  women  of  Italy  in  1861,  on 
the  subject  of  public  education.  Why  he  especially 
addressed  the  women,  more  than  the  men,  was  thus 
explained  by  himself : — 

**The  political  liberty,"  he  said,  "acquired  by  the 
greatest  portion  of  the  Peninsula  does  not  suffice  for 
the  great  mass  of  the  people,  who  must  likewise 
physically  partake  of  its  benefits,  and  attain  that 
degree  of  education  which  ^  alone  can  ^  emancipate 
them  from  the  degrading  prejudices  and  ignorance  in 
which  the  corrupt  portion  of  mankind  has  tried  to 
keep  them.  Sufficient  food,  work,  and  education  : 
these  are  the  ends  which  benevolent  souls  try  to 
obtain  for  the  people.  Woman,  with  her  innate 
tendency  to  educate  a  family,  is  more  fit  for  such  a 
purpose  than  man ;  she  is  more  delicate  in  feeling, 
more  generous.  Let  the  powerful  of  the  earth 
approach  the  poor ;  let  them  comfort,  educate,  assist 
them.  Then  will  disappear  from  human  society  that 
immense  gulf  which  separates  the  poor  from  the  rich, 
and  in  many  parts  of  Europe  makes  the  labouring 
classes  desirous  to  subvert  social  order,  and  to  bring 
about  the  destruction^of  the  upper  classes  as  the  sole 


414    TRANSLATIONS-EOYAT— ITALY 

means  of  mitigfatlng  the  misery  of  those  below  them.  I 
have  that  profound  faith  in  the  good  feeling-  of  Italian 
women  of  all  classes,  that  I  venture  to  address  them, 
and  to  invite  them  to  realise  this  noble  end.  In  the 
hundred  cities  of  Italy,  let  there  be  formed  committees 
of  ladies,  with  the  object  of  collecting  means  of  every 
kind  in  Italy  and  other  parts  of  the  world,  to  assist 
the  needy,  and  to  establish  schools  for  their  educa- 
tion." 

Garibaldi's  appeal  found  a  warm  echo  in  the 
hearts  of  Italy's  noblest  women ;  and  committees 
were  formed  with  the  object  of  carrying  his  admir- 
able advice  into  effect.  The  Italian  ladies  first  en- 
deavoured to  concentrate  their  activity  upon  Naples 
and  Palermo  ;  to  imbue  the  people  with  religious  and 
patriotic  feelings,  respect  for  the  laws,  love  of  labour, 
cleanliness,  temperance,  and  education.  They  invited 
the  co-operation  of  the  ladies  of  foreign  countries, 
especially  of  England.  Among  those  who  received 
and  read  the  letter  of  the  Italian  ladies,  signed 
by  the  Marchesa  Pallavicino  Trivulzio,  was  Mrs 
Salis  Schwabe,  of  Manchester.  Her  heart  was 
deeply  moved  by  the  letter ;  and  she  collected  within 
a  short  time  the  sum  of  ^2000.  She  also  induced 
the  late  Jenny  Lind  Goldschmidt  to  give  a  concert 
in  London,  the  profits  of  which  amounted  to  above 
;^iooo.  With  the  help  of  this  money,  an  elementary 
school  was  established  at  Naples  in  1861.  The  first 
superintendent  of  the  school  was  Miss  Reeve,  an 
English  lady,  who  threw  herself  into  the  work  with 
enthusiasm ;  but,  unhappily,  she  fell  a  victim  to  the 
cholera  in  1865  ;  and  then  Mrs  Schwabe  herself  took 
up  the  noble  work. 

The  Italian  Government  and  the  municipality  of 
Naples  took  an  increasing  interest  in  Mrs  Schwabe's 
educational  institution.     The  Government  placed  at 


1889]  MRS  SALIS  SCHW ABE'S  SCHOOL  415 

her  disposal  the  Ex-ColIeg-io  Medico,  formerly  an 
extensive  nunnery,  with  numerous  apartments,  and  a 
large  garden  fitted  for  a  playground,  in  the  centre  of 
what  had  been  the  cloisters ;  and  the  municipality 
granted  her  24,000  francs  for  the  purpose  of  repair- 
ing the  buildings,  and  adapting  them  for  school 
purposes.  Mrs  Schwabe's  original  intention  had 
been  merely  to  establish  a  kindergarten  on  the 
Frobel  system,  together  with  elementary  schools 
for  the  poorer  classes ;  but  her  scheme  was  shortly 
after  enlarged,  so  as  to  give  a  good  practical  education 
to  the  children  of  the  upper  classes  as  well  as  the  lower. 
Under  the  ministry  of  Signor  Bonghi,  she  obtained  a 
grant  of  the  building  until  the  year  1906.  Mrs 
Schwabe  also  received  from  the  Italian  Government 
an  extra  subsidy  of  50,000  francs  towards  the 
rebuilding  of  a  wing  of  the  institution ;  and  she 
subsequently  obtained  an  annual  subsidy  of  12,400 
francs  from  the  Ministry  of  Public  Instruction.  With 
this  assistance,  and  other  subsidies  from  several 
corporations  at  Naples,  together  with  the  interest  on 
50,000  francs  with  which  Mrs  Schwabe  had  endowed 
the  institution,  education  soon  made  considerable 
progress.  In  1887,  the  Italian  Government,  by  a 
Royal  Decree,  granted  a  Charter ;  and  it  is  now 
known  as  Instihito  Fr'dbeliano  Internazionale,  Vittorio 
Emanuele  II.  The  building  at  the  same  time  was 
granted  to  the  institution  for  ever. 

When  I  visited  the  schools  on  the  i8th  of  March 
1889,  there  were  present  1005  boys  and  girls;  some 
of  the  poorer,  and  others  of  the  better  classes.  The 
little  children  were  taught  on  the  kindergarten 
principle ;  the  elder  children  were  taught  in  four 
elementary  classes,  and  a  training  college  for  teachers 
.was  also  established  on  .the  Frobel  system.    The  boys 


416    TRANSLATIONS— EOY AT—ITALY 

leave  the  schools  in  their  eleventh  or  twelfth  year ; 
the  gfirls,  however,  continue  their  studies  in  the 
hig-her  school  until  their  seventeenth  or  eigfhteenth 
year ;  and,  after  passing-  a  Government  examination, 
they  may  enter  the  Training-  College  for  Teachers. 
The  leading  idea  of  the  founders  and  patrons  of 
the  institution  is,  to  guide  the  child  from  infancy, 
developing  its  faculties  ;  enabling  the  little  ones,  with 
the  growth  of  years,  to  become  useful  and  happy 
members  of  society ;  preparing  young  girls  for  their 
future  calling,  as  good  and  virtuous  wives,  as  well  as 
proper  educators  of  the  rising  generation. 

Nearly  half  the  number  of  children  attending  the 
institution  belong  to  the  poorest  class ;  and  at 
midday  they  are  fed,  after  having  been  taught. 
Industrial  schools  are  to  be  added,  where  the  boys 
may  learn  trades,  and  the  girls  cooking,  and  thus 
become  capable,  when  they  have  left  school,  of  earn- 
ing their  livelihood  or  managing  their  homes,  as 
useful,  intelligent,  and  independent  citizens.  It  must 
be  added  that  considerable  difficulties  had  to  be 
encountered  and  overcome  in  bringing  the  institution 
to  its  present  prosperous  condition.  Amongst  these 
difficulties  was  the  opposition  of  the  priests.  The 
instruction  given  at  school  was  confined  to  the 
elementary  branches,  the  founders  being  of  opinion 
that  religious  instruction  should  be  left  to  religious 
teachers.  The  latter,  however,  viewed  with  great 
jealousy  any  instruction  given  to  the  rising  generation 
except  by  themselves.  Indeed,  they  threatened  some 
poor  mothers  who  sent  their  children  to  the  schools, 
with  severest  penalties.  They  would  not  confess  them  ; 
they  would  not  grant  them,  when  dying,  the  last  offices 
of  the  Church.  Though  some  mothers  may  have  been 
deterred,  yet  the  greater  number  continued  to  send 


1889]  LAST  DAYS  IN  ROME  417 

their  children  to  the  institution.  They  could  not 
refuse  the  advantages  of  education,  which  were  so 
freely  offered  them.  In  course  of  time,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  these  religious,  or  rather  irreligious,  diffi- 
culties will  disappear. 

At  the  lunch  which  Mrs  Schwabe's  niece  offered 
us,  we  met  Signora  Zampini  Salazaro,  who  contem- 
plates founding  a  school  for  the  higher  education  of 
ladies  in  Rome,  after  the  manner  of  those  already 
founded  in  England  and  Scotland.  As  half  the 
human  race  consists  of  women,  it  is  necessary  that 
they  should  be  trained  and  educated  to  fulfil  their 
duties  in  the  station  of  life  which  they  may  be  called 
upon  to  fill.  If  their  state  of  education  be  low,  and 
their  moral  and  social  condition  degraded,  the  fact 
must  necessarily  react  upon  society  at  large.  Men  will 
always  be  what  women  make  them  ;  and  for  the  eleva- 
tion of  man  himself,  it  is  needful  that  women  should 
be  properly  educated.  Queen  Margaret  of  Italy  is 
strongly  in  favour  of  this  view ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that,  before  long,  an  institution  for  the  higher  educa- 
tion of  women  will  be  established  at  Rome,  and,  it 
may  be,  at  Florence  and  Naples. 


After  a  few  more  weeks  spent  at  Rome,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  Florence  to  visit  some  old  friends.  The 
Florentines  were  anxious  that  I  should  be  feted  there, 
in  like  manner  as  at  Rome  ;  but  I  resisted  their  induce- 
ment, and  preferred  to  remain  in  quiet.  It  was  quite 
sufficient  for  us  to  listen  to  the  serenade  to  which 
Colonel  Fregerio,  commander  of  the  cavalry  regiment 
of  Aosta,  invited  us  at  his  apartments  on  the  Lung' 
Arno.  The  band  was  an  excellent  one,  and  played 
during  the    evening    Neapolitan    airs,    marches    (of 

2  D 


418    TRANSLATIONS— EOYAT— ITALY 

which,  strange  to  say,  Boulangfer's  was  the  best),  and 
many  selections  from  classical  music. 

We  reached  London  exactly  three  months  aftet 
the  date  of  our  departure.  This,  I  think,  must  finish 
my  last  visit  abroad  ;  or,  at  least,  to  Italy.  In  a  few 
months  I  shall  enter  my  seventy-eighth  year,  and 
when  a  man  arrives  at  that  age,  his  best  refuge  for 
the  remainder  of  his  little  life  is  home.  And  this 
must  end  my  autobiography. 

The  unpretentious  MS.  here  comes  to  a  close. 
Increasing  infirmity  and  the  burden  of  years  now  put 
an  end  to  the  labours  of  Dr  Smiles'  industrious  pen. 
The  reader  must  for  himself  compose  a  fit  peroration. 
Appropriate  material  is  to  be  found  in  the  evidence 
of  failing  power  which  the  closing  pages  of  the  auto- 
biography do  not  conceal.  Dramatically  enough, 
they  show  the  author's  industry,  the  ruling  passion  of 
a  lifetime,  battling  courageously  to  the  end,  happily 
not  without  the  solace  of  a  deep  contentment  derived 
from  the  consciousness  of  a  day's  work  done,  and  of 
a  completed  career  of  honest  human  endeavour.  The 
rest  is  silence.  It  remains  only  to  put  on  record  that 
Mrs  Smiles  died  on  the  14th  February  1900,  and 
that  her  husband,  surviving  her  by  a  little  more  than 
four  years,  died  on  the  i6th  April  1904. — Ed. 


INDEX 


Abbotsford,  visit  to,  48 

Abd-el-Kader,  prisoner  in  Pau 
Castle,  354 

Aberdeen,  visits  to,  309,  321 

Aberdeenshire  —  Resemblance  of 
fishermen  to  Norwegians,  371 

Aberlady,  Bay  of — French  invasion 
threatened :  military  preparations, 
3  ;  view  of,  22 

Abries,  visit  to,  328 

Accidents — Fall  down  hatchway, 
28 ;  railway  accidents,  see  that  title 

Achmuty,  Col. — Mahratta  War,  100 

Adams,  Sarah  F.,  contributor  to 
Monthly  Repository^  52 

Adams,  W.  B.— Visit  to  E.  Elliott, 
143-149 

Addresses,  see  Lectures  and  Ad- 
dresses 

Adour  River,  crossing  by  Welling- 
ton, 355 

Adventures  of  Bilberry  Thurland 
— Author,  64 

Advice  to  Correspondent  re  Self- 
Help,  392 

Agar,  E. — Gold  robbery,  South- 
Eastern  Railway,  202-206,  291 

Agen,  J.  Jasmin's  connection  with  ; 
descriptions,  405-408 

Aime-Martin — Study  of  works,  52 

Aldam,  Mr — Parliamentary  candi- 
date, Leeds,  100 

"  Alessandro  Manzoni  Literary 
Institution,  Monteleone  " — Hon- 
orary president,  294 

Alesund,  description  of,  367  ;  Rolf 
the  Ganger,  371 

Alexander,  Sir  W.  J. — Charing 
Cross  line,  advocate,  240  • 

419 


Alloa,  visit  to,  322 

America — Colonisation  of,  275  ; 
guide  to  writing,  127  ;  immigra- 
tion, 279,  283  ;  nasal  twang, 
origin  of,  313  ;  "personal  liberty,'^ 
174 ;  republications  of  works, 
infringement  of  copyright,  220, 
223,  224,  294,  308,  325,  349,  378, 
401 

Amico  del  Popolo,  IJ — Review  of 
Duty,  400 

Amisfield,  view  of,  22 

Amsterdam,  description  of,  com- 
parison with  Venice,  etc.,  310, 
317 ;  picture  by  Wouverman, 
311;  Thrift,  purchase  of  transla- 
tion, 308 

Amusements  —  "  Popular  Amuse- 
ment and  Recreation,"  article, 
142  ;  school  days,  8,  15  ;  working 
days,  52,  247 

Anatomy — Professor  Signora  Man- 
zolini,  344  ;  "  Resurrectionists," 
28 

Ancestors,  sketch  of,  13,  14 

Ancient  Druids  Benefit  Society, 
104 

Ancient  Order  of  Foresters  Benefit 
Society — Member,  104 

Ancient  Romans  Benefit  Society, 
104 

Anderson,  Mr,  surgeon,  Hadding- 
ton, 49 

Angelico,  Fra — Cell  at  San  Marco, 
340 

Angelo,  M. — Piazza  Florence,  341 

Angles,  ancestors  of  the  English, 
276 

Angrogna,  valley  of,  visit  to,  328 


420 


INDEX 


Anti-Corn  Law  Circular — Editor, 
97  ;  "  Household  Suffrage  Asso- 
ciation," Mr  Cobden  on,  97  ; 
starting,  88 

Anti-Corn- LawLeague — Addresses 
by  Cobden,  123  ;  agitation  move- 
ment through  the  country,  123  ; 
bazaar  in  aid,  Manchester,  115. 
Chartists — conciliatory  meeting, 
Leeds,  no- 112,  opposition  of, 
88,  98,  112,  118.  Co-operation 
and  organisation,  Bread-Tax 
agitation,  108-110  ;  deputation  to 
leading  ministers,  91  ;  deputies, 
meeting  of,  in  Manchester,  117  ; 
formation  of,  88 ;  independent 
attitude,  Cobden  on,  118; 
leaders,  Cobden  on,  112;  Leeds 
Association,  comparison  with 
Manchester,  1 1 1  - 1 1 3  ;  lecturer 
Paulton,  146  ;  meetings  at  Leeds 
and  Manchester,  88  ;  movement 
throughout  the  country,  123 ; 
parliamentary  election,  107  ; 
parliamentary  leader,  Cobden, 
108 ;  parliamentary  reform, 
deputation,  98  ;  popularising  by 
Cobden,  146  ;  practical  measures, 
necessity  for,  118  ;  Press  attitude, 
112;  progress  in  Manchester, 
comparison  with  Leeds,  112,  113; 
system  of  operation,  start,  146 

Antiquities,  Frisian,  317 

Aosta,  valley  of,  visit  to,  329 

"Appeal  to  the  Middle  Classes," 
article,  92 

Aran — Ancient  building,  361 

Archbishop  Tait  of  Canterbury — 
Character  of  G.  Moore,  324 

Archibald,  Mr — Lecture,  Hadding- 
ton, 48 

Ardilaun,  Lord  —  Country  seat, 
362 

Aries,  visit  to,  272 

Armenia  —  Translation  of  Self- 
Help^  401 

Armley— Strikes ;  "Sacred  Month  " 
rioters,  122 

Armies  on  the  Continent — Con- 
scription, 352  ;  mobilisation  of, 
403 

Army  surgeons,  47 

Art — Museums  of  Art  and  Science 
in  Municipal  Boroughs,  156 

Arthur's  Seat,  view  of,  22 


Ashburton,  Lord — Purchase  of 
Tytherly  estate,  107 

Ashcroft — Shakespeare  Cliff  Tun- 
nel improvement,  208 

Ashford,  country  seat  of  Lord 
Ardilaun,  362 

Assurance  work  —  Appointment, 
262  ;  resignation,  300  ;  work,  264 

Astronomer — J.  Jones,  365 

Astronomical  instrument  maker, 
York,  365 

Atheism  and  the  Socialist  move- 
ment, 105 

Athelstan  the  Unready — Conings- 
burgh  Castle,  81 

Athenceum — History  of  Ireland^ 
review,  128  ;  Life  of  George 
Stephenson^  review,  220 ; 
Nasmyth^s  Autobiography^  re- 
view, 349 ;  Physical  Educa- 
tion^ review,  63 ;  research 
workers,  advertisements,  251 

Athlone — Contest,  357 

Atlantic  Monthly  —  International 
copyright,  224 

Atoms  and  convertibility  of  matter 
— Theories  of  S.  Brown,  53-58 

Aughrim— Retreat  of  French  and 
Irish  after  Athlone,  357 

Aurillac,  visit  to,  408 

Australasia,  colonisation  of,  74,  275 

Austria — Invasion  by  France,  3  ; 
Italian  War  of  Independence, 
334  ;  visit  to,  349 

Austro- Hungary — Army,  404 

Author,  success  as,  221  ;  see  also 
Literary  Work 

"Autumn  Trip  through  Munster," 
article,  165 

Awe,  Loch,  visit  to,  365 

Baines,  E.— Benefit  Societies, 
141  ;  British  and  Foreign  School 
Society  Meeting,  90  ;  education, 
"voluntaryism,"  168,  170,  174; 
Leeds  Mercury^  editor,  94  ;  testi- 
monial, 138 

Baker,  Councillor — National  edu- 
cation, 168 

Baker,  R. — Speech,  141 

Balgonie,  view  of,  22 

Ballantyne,Mr — Y.^\X.or ^Anti-Corn- 
Law  Circular^  97 

Ballina,  journey  to,  364 

Ballot,  vote  by,  94,  124 


INDEX 


421 


Banff— Herring  fishery,  306  ;  race, 
Scandinavian  origin,  306,  307, 
371  ;    visit   to  T.  Edward,    305, 

309,  321 
Bangor,  visit  to,  365 
Barbera,Signor — Florentine  Album 

Presentation,  343 
Barker,        Councillor  —  Education 

Bill,  168 
Barlow,  Capt. — General  Manager, 

South-Eastern  Railway,  193 
Barnsby — Coach  drive,  85 
Barrogill  Castle — Description,  321 
Barrow,  growth  of,  397 
Barrow,  Mr — Publication  of  works, 

402 
Bartolomeo,     Fra — Cell     at     San 

Marco,  340 
Bartram,  J. — Advice  to  B.  Franklin, 

2 
Basque     Race,      study    of — Tour 

among,  353"356 
Bass  Rock,  view  of,  22 
Bayonne,  visit  to,  355 
Bearn,CivilWars — Assault  of  Castle 

Pau,  354 
Beckett,  W. — Address  at  opening 

of  Parliament,  119;  Manchester 

Unity    of     Oddfellows — speech, 

141  ;  member  for  Leeds,  return, 
100,  102  ;  recommendation,  192 

Begbie,  Dr,  medical  examiner,  45 

"  Begbie's  Library,"  29 

Belfast,  visits  to,  364,  366,  397 

Belford  v.  Smiles — Canadian  in- 
fringement of  copyright  of  Thrifty 
308 

Belgium  —  Railway  management, 
236 

Belhaven  —  French  invasion 
threatened,  military  prepara- 
tions, 3 

Bell,  Dr — Life  and  character  of  G. 
Moore,  324 

Bellaggio,  visit  to,  344 

Benefit  Societies — Articles  in  the 
Leeds  Mercury^  141,  142  ;  con- 
dition of,  article,  142  ;  Education 
and    Benefit     Societies,    article, 

142  ;  formation  of,  104  ;  "Work- 
men's Benefit  Societies,"  article, 
302  ;  Young  Men's  Mutual  Im- 
provement Societies,  article,  161 

Benevolent     Societies,     the     True 
^  Principles  of,  article,  142 


Benge,  Foreman  —  Railway  acci- 
dent, 245 

Bentham,  J. — Friend  S.  Smith,  78 

Benton  Grange  Road — Recollec- 
tions of  G.  Stephenson,  188 

Bergen,  description,  372 ;  liquor 
licensing  restrictions,  376 

Bergerie  of  Pra,  visit  to,  328 

Berkeley,  Bishop  —  Wealth  and 
industry,  361 

Berne,  view  from,  354 

Berwick,  North — Medical  visits  to, 
60,  61  ;  Reform  Bill  agitation,  38 

Bewick,  T.,  wood-engraver,  180 

Beza,  T.,  confined  in  Pau  Castle, 

354 

Biarritz,  description  of,  355 

Bidassoa  River,  visit  to,  355 

Bidder,  Mr,  life  of,  255  ;  Stephen- 
son, R.,  life  of,  254 

Bingley,  Mr  —  Letter  re  Leeds 
Times  editorship,  84 

Binns,  Mr  —  Information  re  G. 
Stephenson,  216 

Biographia  Literaria  —  Literature 
as  a  livelihood,  130 

Biography — Details,  importance  of, 
219;  successful  men,  choice  of, 
for  biographies  alleged,  325.  For 
special  biographies  see  Names 

Birmingham  —  Chartist  agitation, 
75,  91  ;  visit  to,  252 

Birthday,  seventy-fourth,  383 

Bjorne  Fjord,  description  of 
scenery,  373 

Black,  Dr,  army  surgeon,  49 

Black,  Mr,  Queen  of  Italy's  admira- 
tion for,  337 

"Black  Watch,"  reception  after 
Waterloo,  4 

Blackheath,  leaving,  302 

Blackmore,  Queen  of  Italy's  admira- 
tion for,  337 

^/^/^7£/^^<^— Education  of  French 
boys  and  girls,  299 

Blake  Hill,  view  from,  363 

Blantyre,  Lord — Factor  of  estate,  33 

Blind  Girl  of  Castel-Cuille,  by 
Jasmin,  translation,  405 

Board  School — Dissenters  as  sup- 
porters, 175 

Bohemia — Translations   of   books, 

295,  386,  387  ,    .     ,    . 

Bol,  F.— Portrait  of  Admiral  de 
Ruyter,  312 


422 


INDEX 


Bologna — University  Female  Pro- 
fessors, 344  ;  visit  to,  343 

Bolton  Abbey,  visits  to  —  Article, 
165  , 

Bonghi,  Commendatore  —  Recep- 
tion, 410 

Bonnington's    paintings,    copying, 

300      .  . 

Book-writing  as  a  means  of  liveli- 
hood, 138 

Booth,  H.  —  Acquaintance  with, 
192  ;  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
Railway,  216;  railway  world, 
services  to,  159,  160 

Bosnia — Translation  of  Thrifty  387 

Boulton,  Life  of — Information,  251 

Bourne,  J. — Friendship  with,  193  ; 
introductions  to  friends,  178  ; 
Stephenson,  G.,  recollections  of, 
162,  189,  215 

Bower,  Councillor  J. — "  Household 
Suffrage  Association,"  93 

Bowness  on  the  Solway — Roman 
Wall,  181 

Bowring,  Dr,  acquaintance  with — 
Sketch,  74,  75 

Boys  Voyage  Round  the  World^ 
A,  publication  of,  293 

Boys,  articles  on,  165 

Boyd,  Mr — Printing  of  Physical 
Education^  63 

Bradford — Chartist  troubles,  91, 
103,  "Sacred  Month,"  121  ;  edu- 
cation, state  of,  165 

Brading  haven — Myddelton's  em- 
bankment, 250 

Bramah,  inventor,  life  of,  257 

Bramhope  Tunnel — Opening,  first 
locomotive  through,  1 59 ;  making, 
139-141 

B  ram  ley  —  Strikes,  "Sacred 
Month,"  122 

Bran  bread — Anecdote,  124 

Brassey,  Mr,  life  of,  255 

Bray,  Jan  de,  portraiture  of,  311 

Bray,  Mr — Contractor  for  Bram- 
hope Tunnel,  139 

Bread,  dearness  of,  15 

Bread-Tax,  see  Corn  Laws 

Bredsted,  Mr,  artist,  281 

Bremen — German  race,  276 

Brenner  Pass,  journey  over,  328 

Brent  How,  visit  to,  397 

Briangon,  visit  to,  271 

Bridge  of  Allan,  visit  to,  322 


Bridgeford,  J.,  acquaintance  with, 
82,  84  ;  Leeds  Times,  editorship, 
advice  re,  85 

Bridges — Constructor  Rennie,  249 

Brighton  Railway  Company — Ex- 
tension of  lines,  242  ;  Hasting's 
traffic,  percentage,  243  ;  South- 
Eastern,  rivalry  with,  232,  239 

Brindley— Canal  construction,  249, 
363  ;  life  of,  information,  250 ; 
moderate  means,  326  ;  Stockton 
to  Darlington  Railway,  184 

British  Museum,  public  admitted, 
102  ;  research  work,  250 

British  and  Foreign  School  Society 
Meeting — Chartists,  90 

Brive,  journey  from,  402 

Brook,  W. — Speech  at  Education 
Meeting,  168 

Broom,  Loch,  visit  to,  322 

Brown,  Dr  J. — Cousin  S.  Brown, 
character  and  abilities,  57,  58  ; 
life  of  a  country  doctor  in  "  Our 
Gideon  Grays,"  49  ;  Rab  and  his 
Friends,  35 

Brown,  Provost  of  Haddington,  48 

Brown  S.  (junior) — Articles  by,  in 
North  British  Review,  57  ;  char- 
acter and  ability,  35,  53,  57,  58  ; 
homoeopathic  medicine,  essay 
on,  57  ;  illness  and  death,  58  ; 
lectures  on  philosophy  of  the 
sciences,  56  ;  metaphysics  — 
corpuscular  science,  53,  55  ;  Pro- 
fessorship of  Chemistry,  Edin- 
burgh University,  candidate,  56 

Brown,  S.  (senior) — "  Haddington 
School  of  Arts,"  30 ;  itinerant 
hbraries,  founding,  29,  30,  58, 
143  ;  memoir  of,  58 

Browning,  Mrs  B.,  Queen  of  Italy's 
admiration  for,  337 

Briigmann,  Frau,  stay  with,  284-288 

Brunei — Shakespeare  Cliff  Tunnel 
improvement,  208 

Brunels,  The,  article  on,  302  ;  lives 
of,  255 

Brunetti,  A.  (Ciceruacchio)  — 
Italian  patriot,  334 

Buchanan,  Socialist  lecturer,  107 

Budden,  Mr,  information  re  G. 
Stephenson,  163 

Buenos  Ayres  —  Translations  of 
books,  229,  398-400 

Building  Societies,  article,  142 


INDEX 


423 


Bulwer's  "  Caxtons  "—Great  Work 
Contemplated,  372 

Burgess,  Guard  —  Gold  robbery, 
South-Eastern,  202-206,  291 

Burke,  murders  by,  28 

Burke,  Mr,  murder  of,  356 

Burns,  G.,  friendship  with  Mrs 
Carlyle — sketch,  33 

Burns,  R. — Correspondence  with 
Mrs  Dunlop,  33  ;  epitaph,  151  ; 
lines  on,  by  R.  Nicoll,  182 ; 
ploughman  of  Ayrshire,  405 

Burrows  —  Mutual  acquaintance- 
ship, 290  ;  Royal  Swedish  Rail- 
way shares,  291 

Burton,  Dr — Medical  practice,  49, 
65  ;  testimonial,  65 

Business — Literature,  compatibility 
with,  212  ;  regularity,  212 

Bust  by  Rossetti,  332 

Buys,  M. — Translation  of  Char- 
acter^ 295 

Byfjord,  372 

Byng,  Hon.  J. — Chairman,  South- 
Eastern  Railway,  197 

Byron,  Lord — Publication  of  works, 
correspondence,  402,  409 

Ca  Tiepolo — Austrian   execution 

of  Italian  patriots,  334 
Cairoli,  Signor,  acquaintance  with, 

332,  336 

Cairoli,  Signora,  translation  of 
Self-Help,  333 

Cairoli,  Signor  and  Signora,  photo- 
graph of,  343 

Caithness,  Earl  of,  visit  to,  32 1 

Calderini,  Signora — Professor  of 
Jurisprudence,  344 

Callerton  Pits — Reminiscences  of 
G.  Stephenson,  182 

Calvin,    confined    in    Pau   Castle, 

354 

Cameronians — Meeting,  24 ;  Smiles' 
ancestors,  connection  with,  13,  24 

Camerota,  Gaetano,  meeting  with, 
342 

Camisards,  places  connected  with, 
in  the  Cevennes,  272 

Campbell,  T.  —  Legacy  from 
Telford,  253 

Canada — Immigration,  279  ;  Re- 
bellion, 75  ;  Thrifty  infringement 
of  copyright.  Smiles  v.  Belford, 
308 


Canal  maker,  Brindley,  249 

Canisbay,  visit  to,  322 

Canterbury — Buildings  resembling 
old  ones  in  Hamburg,  277 ; 
Railway  service,  197,  233 

Canterbury,  Archbishop  Tait  — 
Character  of  G.  Moore,  324 

Canzio,  Col.,  meeting  with,  333 

Capital  and  Labour — Essay  on, 
prize  offered  by  Mr  Cobden,  117; 
Ireland,  investment  of  English 
capital,  358 

Carattere^  II,  journal,  publication 
of,  294 

Carbutt,  Alderman  —  Education, 
"voluntaryism,"  168,  173 

Carlisle — Accident,  death  of  G. 
Moore,  323 

Carlyle,  Mrs — Burial  place,  43  ; 
friendship  with  E.  Irving,  6 ; 
friendship  with  G.  Burns,  33  ; 
marriage,  6,  34  ;  personal  appear- 
ance, 5 

Carlyle,  T.  —  Admiration  of  E. 
Elliott  for,  149  ;  friendship  with 
Mr  Johnstone,  32  ;  letters  to  Mr 
Johnstone,  32,  33  ;  life  by  Froude, 
33  ;  marriage,  6,  34  ;  persever- 
ance, 384,  395  ;  teaching,  34 

Carnival,  Nice,  329 

Carrs  family,  related  to  G.  Stephen- 
son, 181 

Carruthers,  life  of,  327 

Carstairs,  Dr — Contributions  to  the 
Sheffield  Iris,  82  ;  Leeds  Times 
editorship,  advice  re,Ss  ;  medical 
practice,  60,  65  ;  visit  to,  81,  82- 
84 

"Carter's  Ploy,"  description  of,  16, 

17 
Carvings  by  Frisian  sailors,  282 
Castellani,    Augusto — Antiquarian 

art,  338 
Catholicity  of  England — Tolerance, 

337 
Causeries  du  Lundi,  notice   of  J. 

Jasmin,  405 
Cavendish,  Lord  F. — Murder,  356 
Cavour — Independence    of    Italy, 

330 

"Caxtons"  — "The  Great  Work 
Contemplated,"  372 

Cevennes,  visit  to,  272 

Chadwick,  E. — Sanitation  move- 
ment, 78 


424 


INDEX 


Chambers,  Messrs — Publication  of 
Physical  Education^  62,  63 

Chambers's  Journal  —  Review  of 
Physical  Education^  63 

Change — "A  rolling  stone  gathers 
no  moss,"  60,  134 

Chantry — Bust  of  Rennie,  253 

Character — Business  success  com- 
patible with  literary  tastes,  153; 
editions,  298  ;  Italian  apprecia- 
tion, 341  ;  journal  //  Carattere, 
295 ;  Japanese  admiration  for, 
304  ;  preface  to  Italian  edition, 
329  :  publication  of,  293  ;  reviews 
and  opinions,  etc.,  295,  296,  387, 
389,  398-400,  411  ;  translations, 
294,  386,  389,  398 

Charing  Cross  line,  see  South- 
Eastern  Railway 

Chartists  —  Agitations, — Birming- 
ham, 75,  Bradford,  91,  Leeds, 
88,  98,  116,  Manchester,  90, 
Newport  insurrection,  91  ;  Anti- 
Corn-Law  League,  opposition  to, 
88,  98,  110-112,  118;  collapse 
of  movement,  124;  demands. 
Charter  and  Universal  Suffrage, 
90  ;  Household  Suffrage  Associa- 
tion, opposition  to,  96  ;  Kenning- 
ton  Common  procession,  124 ; 
meeting.  Palace  Yard,  London, 
75,  81,  83 ;  Northern  Star^ 
Chartist  organ,  85,  87;  "Will  they 
try  corn,"  by  F.  O'Connor,  90 

Charter,  see  Chartists 

Chat  Moss,  railway  over,  191 

Chatham,    railway     service,     197, 

233,  243 

Chemistry,  lectures  on,  48 

Chester-le-Street,  railway  service, 
176 

Chevalier  ot  the  Order  of  SS. 
Maurice  and  Lazare,  344 

Children — Daughter  Edith,  death, 
301  ;  eldest,  birth  of,  129  ; 
number  in  family,  192  ;  nurture 
and  management  of.  Physical 
Education,  62-64 ;  son,  eldest, 
visit  to,  300  ;  son,  youngest,  A 
Boys  Voyage  round  the  World, 
293  ;  visit  to,  300  ;  Treatise  on 
the  Physiological  and  Moral 
Management  of  Infancy,  62 

China — Translation  of  Self-Help, 
401 


Cholera,  outbreaks,  42,  43,  368 
Christian      Socialism,      work      of 

leaders,  105 
Christiania  —  Liquor       licensing 

restrictions,    376 ;   visit  to,   292, 

Christiansand — Fishing     business, 

369 

Churches,  Chartist  musters  m,  90 

Churchmen — Education,  National 
System  ?:/<?rj^/i- Voluntaryism,  165- 
175;  friendliness  with  "High 
Churchmen,"  134 

Ciceruacchio  (A.  Brunetti),  Italian 
patriot  shot  by  Austrians,  334 

Cimiez,  visit  to,  330 

City  Record  Office,  research  work 
at,  250 

Civil  Engineers  Institution — Copy 
of  Life  of  George  Stephenson, 
218 

Civil  War,  1649- 1660 — Old  Hough- 
ton Hall,  148 

Clarence  Railway,  junction  with 
Leeds  Northern,  176 

Clement,  J.,  Life  of— Information 
re,  257,  piratical  publication  of 
Extracts,  380 

Clermont  Ferrand,  soldiers  at,  403 

Cleveland,  Duke  of,  opposition  to 
Stockton  and  Darlington  Rail- 
way, 184 

Clew  Bay,  visit  to,  364 

Cobden,  R.  —  Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
League,  co-operation  and  organi- 
sation, agitation  of  the  Bread- 
Tax,  T08-110,  independent  atti- 
tude, 118,  Leeds  Association,  97, 
99,  1 1 1- 1 13,  Manchester  Associa- 
tions, 1 1  i-i  I3,movementthrough- 
out  the  country,  123,  parliamen- 
tary reform,  99,  popularising,  146, 
practical  measures,  118;  bio- 
graphy, 142  ;  corn  duties, 
"  sliding  scale  "  —  denounce- 
ment of  scheme,  120;  death, 
259 ;  education  agitation,  168- 
174;  Household  Suffrage  As- 
sociation, Leeds,  97  ;  Industrial 
Biography,  letter  re,  259  ;  "  leader 
of  the  day,"  E.  Elliott  on,  146  ; 
life  of  by  J.  Morley,  124  ; 
local  legislation,  173 ;  member 
for  Stockport,  108;  party  politics, 
117;  personal    liberty,    Trades- 


INDEX 


425 


Cobden,  R. — continued. 

Unions,    174;   political   opinion, 
letter,  116 

Coe,  W. — Shoes  bought  from  G. 
Stephenson,  183 

Coleridge — Biographia  Literaria^ 
129,  130 

Coleridge,  Justice — Education,  171 

Colin  Clink^  author,  64 

Colonies — Guides  to,  writing,  127 

Colonisation  —  Australia,  scheme, 
74  ;  racial  tendency  for,  275 

Combe,  Dr  A.  —  Principles  of 
Physiology  applied  to  the  Pre- 
servation of  Healthy  62  ;  Treatise 
on  the  Physiological  and  Moral 
Management  of  Infancy,  62 

Commerce  and  trade  compatible 
with  poetic  and  literary  tastes, 

152-155 
Como,    Lake,    scenery    compared 
with  Bjorne  Fjord,  373  ;  visit  to, 

344 

Companions  of  ?ny  Solitude,  writ- 
ing by  Sir  A.  Helps,  210 

Cong,  Abbey  of,  description  and 
history,  362 

Coningsburgh  Castle,  description, 
81 

Conisborough,  scenery,  147 

Connemara,  tourist  accommoda- 
tion, 364 

Conscription  on  the  Continent,  352, 
404 

Constitutional,  The,  local  legisla- 
tion, article,  173 

Continental  armed  forces,  403 

Cook,  Eliza — Periodical,  articles 
for,  161  ;  Temperance  Cause, 
presentation,  164  ;  visit,  of,  161 

Cooke,  Mr — Publication  of  Self- 
Pi  elp,  223 

Cooke,  Mrs,  visit  to,  365 

Cooper — Portrait  of  O.  Cromwell, 
312 

Co-operation — Movements,  103-107 

Copenhagen,  visit  to,  289 

Copyright  —  American  infringe- 
ment— piratical  publishers,  220, 
223,  224,  294,  308,  325,  349,  378, 
401  ;  Canadian  infringement  re 
Thrift,  Smiles  v.  Belford,  308  ; 
English  Society's  infringement 
of,  381  ;  international,  article  in 

m  Atlantic  Monthly,  224 


Coquerel,  M. — Huguenots,  The, 
translation — preface,  272,  273  ; 
visit  of,  273 

Cork  Exhibition,  358 

"  Corn-law  Rhymer,"  see  E.  Elliott 

Corn  -  Laws  —  Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
League,  see  that  title  ;  considera- 
tion of,  by  Parliament,  Queen's 
speech,  119,  refusal  to  consider, 
91  ;  "Corn-law  Rhymer,"  E. 
Elliott,  82  ;  Household  Suffrage 
Remedy,  see  Household  Suffrage 
Association  ;  repealed,  1846,  124  ; 
revision  by  Parliament  proposed, 
98,  99 ;  Siege  of  Bolton,  The, 
publication  of,  90 ;  sliding  scale 
of  corn  duties,  120 

Corpuscular  Science  —  Experi- 
mental Philosophy  of  S.  Brown, 

53-55 

Corrib,  Lough — Canal  to  Lough 
Mask,  construction  of,  363 ; 
scenery,  sail  up,  362 

Corrib  River — Castle  of  a  descend- 
ant of  the  "Thirteen  Tribes," 
361  ;  iodine,  space  for  burning 
seaweed,  359  ;  woollen  manufac- 
tory proposed,  359 

Cottian  Alps,  climb  over,  328 

"Cotton  spinning  machines  and 
their  inventors,"  article,  302 

Coulston,  view  of,  21 

Country  of  the  Vaudois,  The, 
journey  to  Dauphiny,  272 

Coupar  -  Angus  —  Porter  -  astrono- 
mer, 365 

Coupling-screw,  invention,  160 

Covenanters  —  Family  connection 
with,  1 3, 24;  meeting  at  Pentland, 
13,66 

Crabbe,  publication  of  works, 
402 

Craik,  Mr,  Pursuit  of  Knowledge 
under  Difficulties,  222 

"Cramming,"  evils  of,  12 

Crawford,  S.  —  Parliamentary 
motion,  117;  Suffrage  Festival, 
speech,  96 

Crimean  War,  perusal  of  news- 
papers, 213 

Crispi,  Signor,  salutation,  411 

Criticisms  on  works,  see  Names  of 
Works 

Croatian,  Self-Help,  translations, 
401  ;  Thrift,  translation,  308 


426 


INDEX 


Cromwell,  O.  —  Marston  Moor, 
148  ;  portrait,  312 

Cruickshank,  Dr,  medical  practice, 
49,  65  ^ 

Cubitt,  Sir  W. — Acquaintance,  192; 
engineer.  Great  Northern  Com- 
pany, 160 

Cumberland — Norwegians,  resem- 
blance to,  371  ;  visit  to,  364 

Cunningham,  P. — Information  re 
Telford  and  Rennie,  253 

Cusham,  Miss,  visit  of,  161 

"Cutty  Stool,"  description  of,  18 

Czech,  translation  of  Self-Help^ 
401 

Dalkeith,  George  IV.'s  visit  to, 
23 

Dalrymple,  Sir  A.  J.,  parliamentary 
candidate,  "  Lauder  Raid,"  38-42 

Dalziel,  General  —  The  Cove- 
nanters, 13 

Darfield  Station,  visit  to  E.  Elliott, 

144 

Darlington — Railway  service,  see 
Stockton  and  Darlington  Rail- 
way ;  visit  to,  183,  190 

Darwin,  works  of,  35 

Daughter  Edith,  death  of,  301 

Dauphiny,  visit  to  Vaudois 
pastors,  271,  328 

Davie,  Mr,  Secretary,  School  of 
Art,  48 

De  Gubernatis,  Florentine  Album 
Presentation,  343 

De  Sanctis,  G.,  painting  portrait, 
411 

Dearne,  scenery,  147 

Decker,  Mr,  resemblance  to  C.  J. 
Fox,  286 

Deegan,  Mr,  Chartist  delegate  at 
Suffrage  Festival,  96 

Degerando,  study  of  works,  52 

Delbes,  poet,  407 

Delft  —  Murder  of  William  of 
Orange,  312 

"  Delia  Orific^ria  Italiana,  Discorso 
di  Augusto  Castellani,"  presenta- 
tion of,  339 

Delmas,  M.,  La  Rochelle  and  the 
Huguenots,  270 

Denison,  B. — Railway  work,  160 

Denmark  —  Character^  translation 
of,  295  ;  emigration,  279  ;  Self- 
Help^  translations,  229,  401 


Demnark  in  the  Early  Iron  Age^ 

by  C.  Englehart,  289 
Deptford — Chartist  agitations,  98  ; 

dockyard,  71 
Derby,  railway  service,  135,  136 
Derby,  Lord — Household  Suffrage, 

175 

Derry,  Bishop  of,  Bampton  Lectures^ 
publication  of,  380 

Descamp's  paintings,  copying,  300 

Deutsche  La  Plata  Zeitung^ 
review  of  El  Evangelio  Social, 
400 

Dewley  Burn  —  Home  of  G. 
Stephenson,  180,  181 

Dewsbury,  railway  service,  136 ; 
strikes,  "Sacred  Month,"  121 

Dick,  R.,  Life  of — Illustrations,  322 ; 
information,  collecting,  321-323; 
publication,  327 ;  unsuccessful 
life,  325 

Dickens,  C. — American  piratical 
pubhcation  of  works,  379  ;  rail- 
way accident  at  Staplehurst,  245 

Dictating  business  work,  210 

Dictionary  of  the  Scottish  Language 
— Norwegian  ancestry,  307 

"  Difficulties  of  Railway  Engineer- 
ing," article,  248,  302 

Dijon,  visit  to,  329 

Dirks,  J. — Frisian  antiquities,  317 

Dirleton  Castle,  view  of,  22 

Disraeli,  Mr — Libraries,  free  public, 
155  ;  pubhcation  of  works,  402 

Dissenters — Education,  Voluntary- 
ism versus  National  System, 
165-175  ;  friendliness  with,  134 

Distress,  prevailing — Enumeration 
Committee  Inquiry,  114, 11 5, 1 19  ; 
prevalence  of,  87,  89,  90,  96,  103, 
115,  116 

Ditmarchen,  independence  of 
inhabitants,  277 

Dixon,  J. — Liverpool  and  Man- 
chester Railway,  216;  railway 
work.  Chat  Moss,  etc.,  191 

Doctors,  see  Medical  profession 

Dodd  —  Stockton  to  Darlington 
Railway,  184 

Domestic  life,  articles  on,  164 

Don,  scenery,  147 

"  Don  and  Rother,"  by  E.  Elliott, 

83 
Donati,  Signor  C. — Translation  of 
Self-Help,  409 


INDEX 


427 


Doncaster— Railway  service,  177; 
settling  as  practitioner  proposed, 
84  ;  sight  of,  81 

Donegal,  south,  visit  to,  300 

Dorward,  J. — Apprenticeship  to  Dr 
Lewins,  28 

Douglases — Tantallon  Castle,  22 

Dover — Railway  service,  198,  233, 
242  ;  Shakespeare  Cliff  Tunnel 
accident,  207 

Drawing,  52 

Drink,  see  Temperance 

"  Drinking,"  article,  164 

Drummond,  S. — Connection  with 
Covenanters,  13 

Dublin — Description  of  place  and 
people,  356  ;  Huguenots'  manu- 
scripts in  the  Marsh  Library, 
270 ;  labourers'  wages,  360 ; 
lecture  on  Huguenots,  265  ;  visit 
to,  300 

DumaS' — Literary  practice,  323 

Dunbar  —  Reform  Bill,  parlia- 
mentary election,  38  ;  view  of, 
22 

Duncan,  Dr — Lectures,  34 

Duncansbay  Head,  visit  to,  321 

Dunkeld,  visit  to,  365 

Dunlop,  Mrs,  correspondence  with 
R.  Burns,  33 

Dunnet,  visit  to,  sketch,  322 

Dunoon,  visit  to,  300 

Durham,  railway  service,  176 

Durham,  Earl  of — Stockton  to 
Darlington  Railway,  184 

Duty — Compiling,  Italian  news- 
paper report,  335  ;  philanthropic 
efforts  of  J.  Hume,  encouraged, 
102 ;  publication  of,  348  ;  reviews 
and  critics,  398-400  ;  Savonarola, 
life  of,  340 ;  translations,  389, 
398  ;  writing,  347 

"  Dying  Boy  to  the  Sloe-Blossom," 
by  E.  Elliott,  83 


Eaglescarnie,  view  of,  21 

East  Kent  Railway,  extension  of, 

232,    233 ;    South-Eastern,   rival 

line,  197 
East  Lothian  Itinerating  Library, 

founding   and    management   of, 

29,  30,  58 
East      wind,      C.      Kingsley     on, 
401 


Eborall,  Mr  (general  manager, 
South-Eastern  Railway) — Acci- 
dent, Staplehurst,  244  ;  anxious 
temperament,  244 ;  Charing 
Cross  terminus,  237  ;  extension 
of  railway,  242  ;  work,  communi- 
cations re^  lyi 

Eccher,  Prof.,  meeting  with,  342 

Eclectic  Magazine^  review  of 
History  of  Ireland^  128 

Economist — Life  of  G.  Stephenson, 
220 

Eddystone  lighthouse,  249 

Edinburgh — Anatomy  class  of  Dr 
Knox,  28  ;  Chartists'  agitations, 
98  ;  George  IV.'s  visit  to,  23 ; 
High  School,  favouritism,  10 ; 
Philosophical  Institution,lectures, 
56,  264 ;  Reform  Bill,  passing, 
excitement,  36-38 ;  School  of 
Art,  formation,  31  ;  view  of,  22  ; 
visits  to,  "34,  35,  42,  323,  365  ; 
Waterloo  rejoicings,  4 

Edinburgh  Medical  Journal^  article 
on  "  Infantile  Remittent  Fever," 
32 

Edinburgh  Review^  newspaper 
stamp  article,  171 

Edinburgh  University  —  Medical 
classes,  34 ;  Professorship  of 
Chemistry,  56 ;  Tercentenary 
Festival,  366 

Edinburgh  Weekly  Chronicle^ 
articles  for,  64  ;  editor,  64 

Editorial  works — Leeds  Ti^nes^  see 
that  title  ;  life  of  an  editor,  126  ; 
livelihood,  newspaper  editing  as 
a  means  of,  1 34,  1 37  ;  Oddfellows 
Magazine^  142  ;  qualities  for  an 
editor,  89  ;  training  for  an  editor, 
anecdote,  130 

Education — "  Benefit  Societies  and 
Education,"  article,  142  ;  condi- 
tion of,  165,  166  ;  cramming,  12  ; 
"Diffusion  of  Useful  Knowledge," 
Society  for,  73  ;  Education  Bill, 
168 ;  French  boys  and  girls, 
education  of,  article,  299  ;  health, 
philosophy  of,  by  S.  Smith,  78  ; 
"  Individual  Improvement  and 
Social  Advancement,"  article, 
142  ;  Italy,  see  Italy  ;  Knox,  J., 
on  education  of  the  people,  7  ; 
mathematics  and  languages,  ac- 
quiring,    32 ;     Memoranda    of 


428 


INDEX 


Education — continued. 

Observations  and  Experiments 
in  Education^  77 ;  National  Edu- 
cation versus  Voluntary  System, 
agitation  of  Church  and  Dissent, 
165-175  ;  parliamentary  reform, 
national  education,  93  ;  Physical 
Education,  publication  of,  62-64, 
74  ;  Public  Education,  by  R. 
Hill,  73  ;  reading,  29,  30  ;  religi- 
ous instruction  in  schools,  165  ; 
school  days,  see  that  title  ;  techni- 
cal education,  lecture  on,  264  ; 
*'  Women,  Improvement  and 
Education  of,"  article,  142  ; 
working  classes,  education  of, 
address,  131- 134 

Edward,  T. — Correspondence  with, 
305  ;  life,  account  of,  305  ;  Life 
of  Thomas  Edward,  the  Scotch 
Naturalist,  see  that  title ;  pension, 
remittance  from  a  reader  of  his 
life,  330,  351  ;  poverty,  326  ;  Self- 
Help,  sketch  of  life  in,  305  ;  visit 
to,  321 

Edwin  Drood,  railway  accident, 
245 

Egypt — Quotations  from  Self-Help 
in  Khedive's  palace,  229 

Egyptian  Pasha  and  the  Woolwich 
Arsenal,  story,  352 

Elba — Banishment  of  Napoleon,  4 

Elcho,  Lord — Free  libraries,  155 

Eliza  Cook's  fournal,  contribu- 
tions, 161 

Elliott,  E.  —  Article  on  by  Mr 
Howitt,  143 ;  Chartist  sympa- 
thiser, "Corn-law  Rhymer,"  75- 
82  ;  daughter's  marriage,  150  ; 
death,  150;  Evangeli?te,  149, 
150;  illness,  143,  145;  literary 
work,  147 ;  poetical  merit, 
character  sketch,  83,  151-155  ; 
visits  to,  83,  143-149  ;  writing, 
Southey's  advice,  216 

Emerson — Representative  Men,  404 

Emigration — America,  285;  article 
on,  161;  Australia,  south,  scheme 
of  colonisation,  74 ;  Frisians,  279, 
283 ;  Norway,  scene  at  Stav- 
anger,  377  ;  Scandinavian  settle- 
ments in  Scotland,  306 

Engagement,  126 

Engines  —  English  make  used  in 
Holland,  317 


Englehart,    C. — Denmark    in    the 

Early  Iron  Age,  289 
English    language  —  Frisian     ele- 
ments, 279,  280,  281,  283,  285, 
286,   287  ;   importance   of,   276  ; 
intonation,  origin  of  nasal  twang, 
313  ;    Scandinavian  derivations, 
368  ;  universality  of,  285 
English      race  —  Ancestry,     275  ; 
Dutch,     resemblance     to,    313 ; 
French,  contrast  to,  352  ;  Frisians 
and  Danes,  resemblance  to,  371  ; 
Norwegians,  resemblance  to,  372 
Engraving,      revival      of      wood- 
engraving,  180 
Enkhuizen,  decayed  city,  314 
Enumeration  Committee,  Leeds — 
Unemployed,  distress  prevailing, 
114  ;  work  on,  119 
Epps,  Dr — Homoeopathy,  80,  85 
Erriff  River,  salmon  fishery,  364 
Eskdale,  visit  to,  250 
Essays,  by  Montaigne,  297 
Essex — People  resembling  those  of 

Hamburg,  277 
Etruscany  —  Art    in     Italy,    339  ; 

skulls,  342 
Evangeli?te,  gift  of,  to  E.  Elliott, 

149,  150 
Evangelio    Social,    El —  Spanish 

translation  of  works,  398-400 
Evans,  Mrs,  visit  to,  329 
Eversley,    Lord — Connection   with 

Huguenots,  267 
Evertsen,  T.   and  C,  monuments 

to,  317 
Ewart,  Mr — PubHc  libraries,  155 
Examinations — Medical  degree,  67 
Examiner,  London,  editor,  52 
Excursion,  The,  by  E.  Elliott,  83 
Exeter     Hall  —  Speeches    by    G. 

Moore,  323 
Explosion,  Gateshead,  191 

"Factory  Women,"  article,  142 

Failure — Caused  by  idleness  and 
helplessness,  394 ;  deserved, 
Sharpe  on,  394  ;  history  of  un- 
recorded, alleged,  390;  "perse- 
verance," Carlyle  on,  395 

Fairbairn,  Sir  W. — Information  re 
inventors,  258  ;  Stephenson,  G., 
recollections  of,  183 

Faraday — Atoms  and  convertibility 
of  matter,  56 


INDEX 


429 


Farmsteads,  see  Homesteads 
Farnley  strikes — "  Sacred  Month," 

122 

Faroes — Norwegian  ancestry,  307 

Farquharson,  Dr,  visit  to,  347 

Fast  Day — Scotch  Church,  17 

Father — Death,  43 ;  gardening,  15  ; 
religious  faith,  8 

Fawcett,  Mr — Political  Economy, 
358 

Fenelon — Change  of  study,  247 

Fenton,  Mr,  secretary  and  assistant 
engineer,  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Rail- 
way, 136,  138 

Ferryhill,  railway  service,  158,  176 

Field,  Mr,  information  re  in- 
ventors, 257 

Fiesole,  view  of,  341 

Finance,  Select  Committee,  1822 — 
Movement  of  J.  Hume,  loi 

Finland  —  Professor  Mantegazza's 
interest  in  Race,  342 

Finzean,  visit  to,  347 

Firbolgs — Fight  against  the  Tuatha 
de  Dananns,  363 

Fire,  precaution  against  in  Had- 
dington, 18 

Fish  export,  Christiansand,  369 

Flad-brod,  food  of  Norway,  372 

Flaxman,  visit  to  Rome,  33 1 

Fleming,  Socialist  lecturer,  107 

Flensborg — Warship,  288 

Flensborg  Fjord,  voyage  down,  289 

Fletcher,  A.,  seat  of,  21 

Fletcher,  Dr  —  Lectures,  Edin- 
burgh, 34,  52 

Flevo  Lake  —  Inundation  by  the 
sea,  313 

Florence  —  Congratulatory  tele- 
gram from,  411  ;  presentation 
of  album,  343  ;  visit  to,  329,  340- 

343,  417 
Flogging  of  house-breakers,  17 
Floro — Appearance  of   fishermen, 

371 
Flour,  price  of,  89 

Flushing,  visit  to,  310 

Fohr,    description    of,    280,    281  ; 

emigration,  283  ;  visit  to,  279 
Folgefond,  description  of,  373,  374 
Folkestone — Gold  robbery.  South - 

Eastern  Railway,   199-207,  291  ; 

railway  service,  242 
Fonblanque,    A.,    editor     of    the 

London  Examiner,  52       » 


Fontenelle — Retrospection,  383 
Food — Corn  Laws,  see  that  title  ; 

price  of,  4,  87,  89 
Forbes,       Col.,      meeting      with, 

333 

Forbes,  E. — Lectures  on  Philosophy 
of  the  Sciences,  56 

Forbes,  Mr — Mutual  acquaintance- 
ship, 290 

Foresters'  Society,  104 

Forster,  Mr — National  education, 

175 

Forster,  Mr — South-Eastern  Rail- 
way Director,  195-197 

Foster,  J.  —  Information  re  G. 
Stephenson,  163 

Fowler,  Mr,  visit  to,  322 

Fox,  C.  J.,  portrait,  286 

Fox,  Mr,  contributor  to  the  Monthly 
Repository,  52 

France — Army,  conscription,  352, 
size  and  efficiency  of,  403,  404  ; 
Character,  translation  of,  294 ; 
copyright  laws,  379  ;  "Education 
of  Boys  and  Girls,"  article,  299  ; 
Irish  League,  contest  of  Athlone, 
357 ;  Life  of  George  Moore,  trans- 
lation, 349 ;  Napoleonic  wars, 
English  invasion  threatened,  3, 
4  ;  Paris,  siege  of,  4  ;  racial  dis- 
tinctions, 353  ;  Self -Help,  trans- 
lations, 229,  400  ;  tour  through, 
402  ;  Thrift,  translation  of,  308  ; 
Huguenots,  see  that  title  ;  visits 
to,  269-272,  351-356,  402-409 

Franchise — Ballot,  94,  124  ;  dis- 
proportionate representation,  93  ; 
extension  of  suffrage  —  agricul- 
tural population,  124,  deferring 
question  of,  1 10,  Household  Suff- 
rage Association,  see  that  title  ; 
property  qualifications,  94,  124  ; 
redistribution  of  representation, 
94  ;  universal  suffrage.  Chartists, 
90 

Franklin,  B.,  biography,  2,  155 

Franklin  Square  Library,  publica- 
tions, 308,  378 

Fraser,  Chartist  sympathiser,  75 

Fraserburgh  fishermen,  resem- 
blance to  Norwegians,  371 

Fredericia,  visit  to,  289 

Free  Libraries — Inquiry,  evidence 
before  Select  Committee,  155  ; 
parliamentary   legislation,    Free 


430 


INDEX 


Free  Libraries — continued. 

Library  Act,    157  ;    scheme    of, 
article,  142 

Free  Trade — Corn-Laws,  see  that 
title 

Fregerio,  Colonel — Serenade,  417 

French  studies,  52 

French,  Baron,  visit  to,  342 

French  and  English.,  by  Mr 
Hammerton,  404 

Freswick,  visit  to,  321 

Friendly  Societies,  see  Benefit 
Societies 

Friendly  Societies  Bill,  article,  142 

Friends  in  Council,  book  dictated, 
210 

Friendships — Literary  friendships, 
tributes  of  esteem,  385-388  ;  for 
particular  friends  and  acquamt- 
ances,  see  their  names 

Friesland — Antiquities,  317  ;  food 
exports,  316;  inundation  of  the 
sea,  damage  done,  313,  315,  320 ; 
speech,  nasal  twang,  313 

P^isian  haven,  submersion,  285 

Frisian  islands,  North  —  Antiqui- 
ties at  Leeuwarden,  317;  article 
on,  intended  for  Good  Words, 
298  ;  buildings,  English  resem- 
blances, 277  ;  carvings  by  sailors, 
282  ;  emigration,  279,  283,  285  ; 
German  government,  282  ;  home- 
steads, description  of,  277,  278  ; 
language,  English  resemblances, 
279,  280,  281,  283,  285,  286,  287  ; 
military  service,  compulsory,  282; 
Pagan  indications,  281  ;  people, 
characteristics  and  resemblances 
to  the  English,  276,  286,  371  ; 
religion,  280 ;  scenery,  resem- 
blance to  England,  277,  289 ; 
tour  through,  276-289,  367  ; 
women,  281 

Frobel  Institution,  Naples,  412, 
414-417 

Frost,   Chartist    agitator,   capture, 

91 
Froude,  Mr,  Life  of  Thomas  Car- 

lyle,  33 
Fiinen,  visit  to,  289 
Fyrness  lighthouse,  373 

Galashiels,  visit  to,  47  ;  woollen 

manufactory,  359 
Galch  Hill,  visit  to,  250 


Gallimore  —  Railway  accident, 
Staplehurst,  245 

Gal  way,  decay  of,  visit  to,  358  ; 
"  Thirteen  Tribes,"  descendant 
of,  361 

Gamrie  fishermen,  resemblance  to 
Norwegians,  371 

Gardeners'  Society,  104 

Garfield,  President,  school  out- 
rages, 10 

Garibaldi — Independence  of  Italy, 
33O)  413  ;  interview  with,  333-336; 
photograph,  signature,  343 

Gateshead — Cholera  outbreak,  43  ; 
explosion,  191 

Gentleman,  essentials  of,  in  all 
classes,  50 

"  Geordy  "  safety  lamps,  report  and 
evidence,  214,  215 

George  III.,  death  of,  395 

George  IV. — Accession,  396  ;  birth- 
day festivities,  Haddington,  17  ; 
visit  to  Leith  and  Edinburgh, 
etc.,  23 

"  George  Eliot,"  admirer  of  Life  of 
George  Stephenson,  220 

Gerard,  Jesuit — Murder  of  William 
of  Orange,  312 

Germany — Army,  conscription,  352, 
404  ;  Character,  translation,  294  ; 
copyright  laws,  379  ;  emigration, 
279 ;  Life  of  George  Moore, 
translation,  349;  Self  -  Help, 
translations,  229,  400 ;  Thrift, 
translation,  308  ;  war  with 
France,  chance  of,  403 

Gibbon  on  Henry  IV.  and  Mon- 
taigne, 404 

Gibson,  sculptor,  kindness  to  W. 
Wood,  331 

Giiford,  view  of,  21  ;  walk  past,  38 

Giglioli,  Signor — Presentation  of 
Florentine  Album,  343  ;  pupil  of 
Huxley,  342 

Giglioli,  Signora,  acquaintance 
with,  341 

Giglioli,  Signor  and  Signora,  photo- 
graph of,  343 

GilHes,  Miss  M.  (Miss  Octavia 
Hill)— Elliott,  E.,  visit  to,  143  ; 
meeting  with,  78  ;  visit  of,  143 

Gillies,  Mrs  L.  M.,  acquaintance 
with,  76 ;  Monthly  Repository, 
contributions  to,  76 ;  Physiccil 
Education,  letter  re,  76 


INDEX 


431 


Gilpin,  Mr,  work  in  assurance  com- 
pany, 262,  299 

Ginckel,  General — Contest  at  Ath- 
lone,  357 

Gladstone,  W.  E.  —  Industrial 
Biography^  258 ;  Lives  of  the 
Engineers^  256,  326 

Glasgow,  journey  to,  84  ;  lecture 
at  the  Athenaeum,  264 

Glendalough,  Lough,  visit  to,  364 

Gold  robbery,  South-Eastern  Rail- 
way, 199-207,  291 

Goldschmidt,  Miss — Concert  for 
education  of  Italy,  414 

Gooch,  T. — Life  of  George  Stephen- 
son^ correspondence  re^  218  ; 
Liverpool  and  Manchester  Rail- 
way, 216 

Goodman,  G.  —  Anti-Corn-Law 
Association  meeting,  88;  "Jus- 
tice for  all  Classes,"  93  ;  recom- 
mendation, 192 

Gosford,  view  of,  22 

Gottenburg  —  Liquor  licensing 
restrictions,  376  ;  visit  to,  289 

Graham,  Mr — Character  and  ap- 
pearance, school  reminiscences, 
II  ;  testimonial,  65 

Grainger,  Mr,  Secretary,  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  Railway,  136 

Grandfather — Advice,  letter  of,  13  ; 
burial,  25  ;  Cameronian  elder, 
13,  24  ;  recollections  of,  24 

Grasmere  sports,  397 

Gravesend — Railway  accommoda- 
tion, 243  ;  river  scene,  70 

Gray,  Rev.  J. — Haddington  Town 
Library,  29 

Great  Northern  Railway — Engineer 
Cubitt,  160 ;  Leeds  and  Thirsk 
Railway,  junction  with,  158  ; 
station    accommodation,    Leeds, 

159 

Greek — Art  in  Italy,  339 ;  Pro- 
fessor Signora  Tambroni,  344 

Greenhithe,  river  scene,  70 

Greenock,  visit  to,  250 

Greenwich  Hospital  and  Observa- 
tory, view  of,  7 1 

Grenoble,  visit  to,  271 

Grey,  Captain,  attack  on  Old 
Houghton  Hall,  148 

Grey,  Earl,  Premier,  36 

Grimstone,  Mrs  L.,  contributor  to 
»    the  Monthly  Repository^  52    « 


Groningen,     engines     on     Staats 

Spoorweg,  317 
Guardi's  paintings,  copying,  300 
Gubernatis,    M.     de,    reading    of 

Character  in  Italy,  294 
Gueret,  visit  to,  271 
Guide  to  America^  writing,  127 
Guiton,  Governor  of  La  Rochelle, 

270 
Gullane  Hill,  view  of,  22 
Gurney,  Mr,  nasal  twang,  314 
Guy  Mannering^  story  of,  20 
Guyton,  analysis  of  alkalis,  55 

Hackworth,  T.,  claim  to  inven- 
tion of  the  blast-pipe,  215 

Haddington — Birthplace,  3  ;  "  Car- 
ter's Ploy,"  description  of,  16,  17  ; 
cholera  outbreak,  43 ;  "  Cutty 
Stool,"  18  ;  description  and  situa- 
tion of,  21,  22  ;  dulness  of,  6  ; 
fires,  precautions,  18  ;  French 
invasion  threatened,  military 
preparations,  3  ;  king's  birthday 
festivities,  17  ;  Knox,  J.,  7  ;  leav- 
ing, 65,  84  ;  lectures,  48,  52 ; 
libraries,  29,  30,itinerant  libraries, 
29,  143,  156;  mechanics,  distin- 
guished, 31  ;  medical  practice, 
life  as  a  country  surgeon,  49-52, 
60,  65  ;  medical  practitioners,  47, 
49,  60,  65  ;  piper  and  drummer, 
18  ;  Provost  Brown,  48  ;  Queen 
Mary  at  Both  well  House,  22  ; 
Reform  Bill,  passing,  "Lauder 
Raid,"  etc.,  38-42  ;  "  residen- 
ters,"  costume  of,  19  ;  resurrec- 
tionists, rifling  of  graves,  28 ; 
return  to,  on  a  visit,  305  ;  Schools 
— Art  School,  formation  of,  30, 
Classical  School,  10,  11,  Gram- 
mar School,  7,  Parish  School, 
32,  33,  48 ;  St  Ann's  Place, 
reminiscences  of,  7-1 1,  16;  town 
councillor,  65  ;  Waterloo  rejoic- 
ings, 4 

Hague,  pictures  in  National  Gal- 
lery, 312 

Haigh,  W.  R.,  encouragement  to 
write  autobiography,  i,  2,  347 

Hailes  Castle,  refuge  of  Queen 
Mary,  22 

Halifax— Anti-Corn  Law  Associa- 
tion address,  123  ;  strikes, 
"Sacred  Month,"  121,  123 


432 


INDEX 


Hallam,  publication  of  works,  402 

Hals,  F.,  portraits,  311 

Hamburg — Cholera  outbreak,  43  ; 
description  of,  English  charac- 
teristics, 277 

Hammerton,  Mr — French  and  Eng- 
lish^ 404 

Handsworth,  visit  to,  252 

Hansen,  C,  visit  to,  286 

Hargate  Hill,  description  of  E. 
Elliott's  home,  145,  147 

Hardanger   Fjord,   description   of, 

373,  m 

Hardie,  P. — Librarian,  29  ;  school 
reminiscences,  7-10,  16 

Hardy,  Queen  of  Italy's  admira- 
tion of,  337 

Hare,  murders  by,  28 

Hargrove,  Miss  N.,  acquaintance 
with,  410,  412 

Harland,  Mr,  history  of,  366 

Harlingen  —  Food  exports,  315  ; 
portraiture  of  Frans  Hals,  311  ; 
visit  to,  description,  314,  315, 
316 

Harper  &  Co. — Re-publication  of 
works,  "Franklin  Library  Series," 
308,  378 

Harrison,  positivist,  337 

Harrogate — Drinking  the  waters, 
397  ;  railway  service,  139 

Hartlepool,  railway  service,  158 

Hastings,  railway  service,  243 

Hattstedt,  description  of  country, 
278 

Havard,  M.  —  Amsterdam  com- 
pared to  Venice,  310 

Hawes,  Mr — Life  of  L  Kingdom, 

255 

Hawick,  woollen  manufactory,  359 

Hawkshaw,  Sir  J. — Acquaintance, 
192;  introduction,  310;  parlia- 
mentary engineer,  239  ;  railway 
work,  160 ;  Shakespeare  Cliff 
Tunnel  improvement,  208 

Hawthornden,  visit  to,  23 

Hazeldean  Walk,  39 

Hazlitt — Personal  freedom  in  Lon- 
don, 79 

Health,  384 ;  preservation  of, 
article,  161 

"  Health,"  article,  142 

Heber,  publication  of  works,  402 

Hebrides,  Norwegian  government, 
307 


Heddon-on-the-Wall,  Roman  road, 

181 
Helder — Bulwarks,  312,  314 
Helplessness  and  idleness  causes  of 

failure,  394 
Helps,  Sir  A. — Character^  letter  re^ 

296  ;  dictating  literary  work,  210, 

211  ;    life  of  Mr  Brassey,  255  ; 

life  of  R.  Stephenson  proposed, 

254 
Homoeopathy,  Dr  Epps'  acceptance 

of,  80,  85 
Henderson,   F.,  marriage  with  G. 

Stephenson,  182 
Henry — Analysis  of  alkalis,  55 
Henry,    M.  —  Castle     Kylemore, 

364 

Henry  IV.  of  France,  Gibbon  on, 
405 

Henty,  Mr — Translation  of  Char- 
acter in  Stockholm,  295 

Heppell,  Kit — Recollections  of  R. 
Stephenson,  179 

Hereford  —  Buildings  resembling 
ones  in  Hamburg,  277 

Herring  fisheries,  Banff  and  Mac- 
duff, 306 

Heteren,  view  of,  369 

Hetherington,Chartist  sympathiser, 

75 

"High"  Churchmen,  friendliness 
with,  134 

Highlanders,  adverseness  to  sea 
life,  307 

Highlanders,  42nd  Regiment,  re- 
ception after  Waterloo,  4 

Hill,  Miss  Octavia,  see  Gillies,  Miss 
M. 

Hill,  Mrs  C,  "  Memoranda  of  Ob- 
servations and  Experiments  in 
Education,"  ']'] 

Hill,  Sir  R. — Life  and  work,  sketch 
of,  73  ;  postal  reform  scheme,  74, 
75  ;  railway  companies,  amalga- 
mation of,  236 

Hinderlopen  seawalls,  breach  made 
by  storm,  315 

Hindermarsh,  T. — Information  re 
G.  Stephenson,  189 

History  of  Ireland^  writing  and 
publication  of,  127-129,  138 

Hobson,  J. — British  and  Foreign 
School  Society  meeting,  90 ; 
Leeds  Times^  proprietor,  offer  of 
editorship,  84 


INDEX 


433 


Hock,   Capt.,    Schleswig-Holstein, 

282 
Hoeven,  Prof.    Van  der — Medical 

examination,  67 
Hogg,  Rev.  Mr — Testimonial,  65 
Holbeck,  medical  practice  in,  127; 

strikes,  "Sacred  Month"  rioters, 

122  ;  Suffrage  Festival,  95 
Hole,     Mr  —  Itinerant     libraries, 

143 

Holidays — Illness  from  overwork, 
prolonged  rest,  297-301  ;  recol- 
lections of,  16,  17 

Holland — Canal  from  river  Y  to 
the  North  Sea,  inspection  of, 
310  ;  Character^  translation,  295; 
Dutch  —  Characteristics  of  the 
race,  320,  English  resemblances, 
312,  313,  Frisian  ancestors,  276, 
Huguenots'  descendants,  317, 
industry,  318,  perseverance,  Car- 
lyle  on,  395,  utilising  habits,  309, 
310;  English  treaty  against  the 
Irish,  contest  of  Athlone,  357  ; 
homesteads,  316;  religious  in- 
struction in  schools,  165  ;  Self- 
Help^  translations,  229,  400 ; 
storm  (1877),  314,  315;  Thrift, 
translation,  308 ;  travelling, 
changes  in  means  of  transport, 
309 ;  visits  to,  66-69,  276,  309- 
321  ;  voyage  from  Hull  to  Rotter- 
dam, 66  ;  walking  tour,  67,  68 

Hollis,  T.,  friendship  with  A. 
Lefroy,  268 

Holmforth  —  Strikes,  "  Sacred 
Month,"  121 

Holstein — German  race,  276 

Homburg,  visit  to,  348 

"Home  Colonies,"  paper  by  R. 
Hill,  74 

Home  life,  blessings,  384 

Homoeopathy  —  Recommendation 
to  practice,  80,  85;  "Smallness 
of  Doses,"  essay  by  S.  Brown,  57 

Homesteads — Frisian  Islands,  de- 
scription of  country,  278  ;  Hol- 
land, 278,  316 

Hook,  Dr  —  Church  ritual,  116; 
education  system,  165-167  ;  Man- 
chester Unity  of  Oddfellows' 
meeting,  speech,  141 

Hoorn,  decayed  city,  314 

Hooton,  Mr — Literary  and  editorial 
work,  64,  85  # 


Hope,  A.,  friendship  with,  sketch, 
34 

Hope,  C,  recollections  of,  20 

Hope,  Dr — Lectures,  34 

Horner,  Misses,  meeting  with,  342 

House-lDreakers,  flogging,  17 

Household  Suffrage  Association- 
Article  on,  92  ;  Chartist  opposi- 
tion, 96 ;  Cobden,  R.,  attitude 
towards  Leeds  Association,  97  ; 
deferring  Suffrage  Extension 
Question,  1 10  ;  formation  and 
working  of,  91-96  ;  grant  of 
Household  Suffrage,  124,  175  ; 
honorary  secretary,  93  ;  opposi- 
tion, 94  ;  parliamentary  candi- 
date for  Leeds,  100  ;  pubHca- 
tions,  93,  94 ;  Suffrage  Festival, 
95  ;  working  man's  club,  96 

Howdens,  Dr — Medical  practice,  49 

Howitt,  Mary — Translations,  63 

Howitt,  Mr— Elliott,  E.,  visit  to, 
143  ;  History  of  Ireland,  republi- 
cation proposed,  129 ;  Journal, 
see  title,  Howitfs  fournal 

Howitt's  country  books,  149 

Howitfs  Journal — Contributions, 
142,  143,  161  ;  "Corn-law 
Rhymer,"  article,  143  ;  start  of, 
142 

Hoyer,  visit  to,  288 

Huddersfield  —  Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
Association,  address,  123;  lecture 
on  technical  education,  264 

Hudson,  G.  —  Bankruptcy,  140  ; 
Leeds  to  Derby  Railway,  open- 
ing, 135  ;  poverty,  190 

Hudson,  R.,  clerk,  South-Eastern 
Railway,  212 

Huguenots — Character,  265 ;  docu- 
ments at  Somerset  House,  273  ; 
Dutch  descendants,  317;  failure 
of,  history  neglected,  265  ;  La 
Rochelle,  bombardment,  269  j 
lectures  on,  265  ;  manuscripts  in 
the  Marsh  Library,  Dublin,  270 

Huguenots  in  France  after  the  Re- 
vocation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes — 
Collecting  information,  visits  to 
France,  idcj-i^j^  ;  Country  of  the 
Vaudois,  annexed,  description  of 
Dauphiny,  272  ;  history  of  a 
beaten  party,  326 

Huguenots,       their       Settlements^ 
Churches,    and     Industries     in 
2  E 


434 


INDEX 


Huguenots — continued. 
England  and  Ireland — Col- 
lecting information,  visits  to 
France,  269-272  ;  correspond- 
ence with  descendants  of  Hugue- 
nots, 266-269  ;  history  of  a  beaten 
party,  326 ;  incitive  reason  for 
writing,  273  ;  publication  of,  266  ; 
translation  into  French,  preface, 
272 
Hugo,  Victor,  Travailleurs  de  la 
>,  Mer,  288 

Huie,  Dr,  medical  examiner,  45 
Hull — Huguenots,  lecture  on,  265  ; 
railway  service,  177;  visit  to,  66  ; 
voyage  to,  81  ;  yacht  race,  378 
Hulton,  W. — Biography,  155 
Humber  River,  journey  up,  81 
Humboldt,  A.  von—"  The  world  a 

little  place,"  290 
Hume,    J.  —  Biography,    100-102; 
member     for     Montrose,     102 ; 
parliamentary      candidate      for 
Leeds,    100 ;     Suffrage    Festival 
speaker,  96 
Hungarian  physician  (Takecbouzts) 
— Photograph,  gratitude  for,  385; 
Self-Help^  translation,  386 
Hungary  ■ —  Character^  translation, 
295  ;      patriotic    struggle,     146 ; 
Self- Help ^  translation,  386,  401  ; 
Thrift,  translation,  308 
Husum,  description  of,  277 
Huxley,  Dr — Pupil  Signor  Giglioli, 
342 


Iberians  in  Spain,  355 

Iceland,  Norwegian  ancestry,  307 

Illness,  262,  297,  365 

Illustrations  for  Life  of  Robert  Dick, 

322 
Imaginary  Conversations,  critics  on 

a  new  book,  219 
Immigration — Frisians,  279 
Indemann,  Prof.,  letter  to,  67 
Independent  Oddfellows,  104 
India — Translations  of  works,  230, 

295,  389,  401 
"  Individual      Improvement      and 

Social    Advancement,"     article, 

142 
Industrial     Biography — American 

infringement  of  copyright,  224  ; 

Nasmyth,    Mr,    information    re, 


Industrial  Biography — continued. 
348  ;  opinions  of  Gladstone  and 
Cobden,  258,  259  ;  piratical  pub- 
lication of  extracts,  380  ;  preface, 
vindication  against  critics,  257  ; 
supplemental  volume,  365 

"  Industrial  Schools  for  Young 
Women,"  article,  161 

"Infantile  Remittent  Fever,"  Dr 
Lewins  on,  32 

Infidelity  prevailing,  270,  271 

Inglis,  labourers'  wage,  Ireland, 
360 

Innsbruck,  visit  to,  328,  349 

"  International  Copyright,"  article, 
224 

Inventors,  " Cotton  -  spinning 
Machines  and  their  Inventors," 
article,  303  ;  lives  of,  see  In- 
dustrial Biography 

Inverness,  visit  to,  322 

Ireland — "Autumn  Trip  through 
Munster,"  article,  165  ;  Dublin, 
see  that  title  ;  emigration,  279  ; 
History  of  Ireland,  writing  and 
publication,  127-129,  138,  326; 
king,  last  native,  362  ;  Labour — 
capital  and  labour,  358,  labourers' 
condition,  360  ;  Land  Act — re- 
duction of  landlords'  rents,  359  ; 
liquor  traffic,  360  ;  parliamentary 
representation,  93  ;  Phoenix  Park 
murders,  356;  railway  companies, 
amalgamation  of  proposed,  236  ; 
starvation  crisis,  363 ;  tour  in, 
356-364  ;  visits  to,  165,  300,  364, 
366,  397 

Irby,  Adeline  P. — Translation  of 
Thrift,  387 

Irish  Land  Act,  reduction  of  land- 
lords' rents,  359 

"  Iron  Bridges,"  article,  248,  302 

"  Iron  and  Steel,"  article,  302 

Irving,  E.,  acquaintance  with  Mrs 
Carlyle,  6 

Irving,  H. — Teaching,  34 

Irving,  W.,  publication  of  works, 
402 

Isabella,  Queen  —  Occupation  of 
Pau  Castle,  354 

Isle  of  May,  view  of,  22 

Isle  of  Wight,  Myddelton's  em- 
bankment, 250 

Italia  Irredenta  Party,  meeting 
with  a  member  of,  330 


INDEX 


435 


Italy  —  Army,  404;  Character^ 
translation,  294,  329  ;  copyright 
laws,  379  ;  Education — Frobel 
Institution,  establishment  and 
growth,  412,  414-417,  Gari- 
baldi's appeal  to  Italian  women, 
413,  neglect  of,  412,  women, 
higher  education  of,  417  ;  inde- 
pendence of,  reminiscences  of 
Garibaldi,  330,  334  ;  Life  of 
George  Moore^  translation,  349  ; 
literary  works,  appreciation  of, 
345  ;  Mazzini,  work  of,  72  ;  Press 
Association  reception,  410  ;  Self- 
Help^  translation,  229,  400,  409  ; 
Thrifty  translation,  308  ;  visit  to, 
328-346,  395 

Italy,  King  of — Birthday,  recep- 
tion, 410  ;  honour  conferred  by, 

344 

Italy,  King  Victor  Emmanuel  II., 
unity  of  Italy,  412 

Italy,  King  and  Queen  of,  photo- 
graphs of,  343 

Italy,  Queen  Margaret  of — Educa- 
tion of  women,  417  ;  interview 
with,  336-338 

Itinerant  libraries — Brown,  S.,  es- 
tablishment of,  in  Haddington, 
29,  58,  143  ;  system  of,  evidence 
before  select  committee,  155  ; 
Yorkshire,  143 

Ivanhoe — Coningsburgh  Castle,  81 


James    II. — Contest    of   Athlone, 

357 

"  James  Watt,"  article,  248 

Jamieson,  Dr— "Cutty  Stool,"  18; 
Dictionary  of  the  Scottish  Lan- 
guage, 307 

]2i^2iT].—S elf- Help,  translation,  230, 
401  ;  writing,  adoption  of  English 
alleged,  231 

Jasmin,  J.,  life  and  works,  de- 
scription of  birthplace,  etc.,  405- 
408 

Jedburgh— Reform  Bill,  38 

Jelinger,  Mr,  Anti-Corn-Law  Asso- 
ciation speech,  1 1 1 

Jews — Amsterdam,  310 

Jocelyn,  Lord,  Parliamentary  Can- 
didate, Leeds,  100 

John  o'  Groats,  visit  to,  321 

Johnson,  Boswell's  life  of,  21^ 


Johnstone,  Mr— Friendship  with 
Carlyle,  32  ;  instructions  in 
mathematics,  etc.,  32  ;  lectures, 
Haddington,  48  ;  Parish  School 
teacher  appointment,  32,  33 
Jones,  J.,  interview  with,  365 
Jorge,    F.,    El  Evangelio   Social, 

399 

Journalistic  work.  See  titles,  Leeds 
Times,  and  Editorial  Work 

Jubilee  celebrations  of  Queen  Vic- 
toria, 395-397 

Jul  Sound,  passage  through,  368 

Jurisprudence — Professor  Signora 
Calderini,  344 

"Justice  for  Each  and  All," 
address,  94 

Kay,    Fanny,    evidence    re    gold 

robbery,  South-Eastern  Railway, 

201,  206 
Keats,  J. — Life  of,  by  M.  Milnes, 

149  ;  poetry,  52 
Keitum,  visit  to  C.  Hansen,  286 
Kensington,  home  in,  302 
Kensington   Museum,   South,  stu- 
dent's ticket,  300 
Kent    railway    service,    see    East 

Kent  Railway 
Kew  Gardens,  open  to  the  public, 

102 
Killary    harbour,    resemblance    to 

Norwegian  fiord,  364 
Killingworth  —  "  Geordy  "    safety 

lamps  used  in  coal  pit,  214,  215  ; 

Stephenson,  G.,  life  at,  187-189 
Kilmarnock  burghs,  member,  75 
King's  birthday  festivities,  17 
Kingdom,  I.,  life  of,  255 
Kingsley,      Rev.      C.  —  Christian 

Socialism,      105  ;      east     wind, 

verses,  401 
Kinnessburn,  stay  at,  347 
Kinservik,    Scotch    timlDer    trade, 

375 
Kits   Coty,    Kent,   resemblance  to 
neolithic  barrow,  Wenningstedt, 
287 
Knaresboro',  railway  service,  139 
Knights  Templar,  104 
Knights  of  Malta  Society,  104 
Knowledge  under  difficulties,  pur- 
suit of,  222 
Knox,    Dr — Anatomy  class,  Edin- 
burgh, 28 


436 


INDEX 


Knox,  J. — Education  of  the  people,  7 
"  Komensky,"  review  of  Character^ 

295,387         .    .  ,       ^ 

Kossuth— Patriotic  struggle,  Hun- 
gary, 146 
Kylemore  Castle,  view  of,  364 

La    Rochelle,    description    and 

history,  269 
La  Tour,  visit  to,  328 
Labouring    classes,    see    Working 

Classes 
Lacep^de,     naturalist,    birthplace, 

406 
Laggan,  visit  to,  347 
Lake,  Lord — Mahratta  War,  100 
Lamb,  A.,  distinction,  31 
Lammermuir  Hills,  scenery,  21,  38, 

39 

Lancashire— Cholera,  368  ;  educa- 
tion agitation,  165-175  ;  strikes, 
"Sacred  Month,"  121-123  ;  visit 
to,  397 

Land  Act,  Ireland,  reduction  of 
landlords'  rents,  359 

Landor,  W.  S.,  Imaginary  Con- 
versations^ 219 

Larken,    E. — Christian    Socialism, 

Lame,  visit  to,  364 

Lasswade  —  Churchyard,  monu- 
ments, 25  ;  visit  to,  23 

Lauder  —  Reform  Bill,  "  Lauder 
Raid,"  38-42  ;  visit  to,  48 

Lauderdale,  Lord,  "  Lauder  Raid," 
38-42 

Laward  —  Gold  robbery,  South- 
Eastern  Railway,  202 

"  Laws  of  MortaUty  and  Sickness," 
article,  142 

Lecky,  historical  works.  Queen  of 
Italy's  admiration  for,  337 

Lectures,  48,  52,  127,  129,  131-134, 
264 

Leeds  — Anti-Corn-Law  League, 
see  that  title  ;  Benefit  Societies, 
104  ;  Chartists'  agitations,  88,  98, 
116;  description  of  town  and 
people,  87  ;  distress  prevailing, 
90,  enumerative  committee,  114  ; 
education  agitation,  165-168, 170, 
172  ;  home  in,  85  ;  Household 
Suffrage  Association,  see  that 
title  ;  lectures,  129  ;  libraries 
in,    155 ;    Mutual    Improvement 


Leeds — continued. 

Society,  address,  131-134  ;  par- 
liamentary election,  candidates, 
99-102  ;  parliamentary  represen- 
tation, 93  ;  railway  service,  135, 
136,  139,  177 ;  Socialist  move- 
ment, 106  ;  station  accommoda- 
tion, see  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Rail- 
way ;  strikes,  103,  "  Sacred 
Month,"  121,  122  ;  trade  condi- 
tions, co-operation,  103 

Leeds  Mercury — Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
League,  99,  112;  Benefit  Socie- 
ties, 141,  142;  contributions,  141  ; 
education  controversy,  170,  174  ; 
Household  Suffrage  Association, 
correspondence,  94  ;  Public 
Library  and  Museum,  letter, 
156 

Leeds  Northern,  see  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  Railway 

Leeds  Times — Anti-Corn- Law  As- 
sociation, 112;  "Appeal  to  the 
Middle  Classes,"  92  ;  editorship, 
application,  64,  appointment,  84, 
85,  Hooton,  C,  appointment,  64, 
85,  work  as  editor,  88,  89  ; 
enumerative  committee,  119; 
proprietor,  J.  Hobson,  84 

Leeds  and  Derby  Railway,  open- 
ing, 135 

Leeds  and  Thirsk  Railway — Act 
sanctioning,  136  ;  amalgamation 
of  company,  171,  176,  177,  198  ; 
Bramhope  Tunnel,  opening,  159  ; 
history  of,  139- 141  ;  junctions 
effected,  139;  name  changed  to 
"Leeds  Northern,"  159;  opening 
of  line  to  Thirsk,  1 59  ;  secretary 
work — appointments,     136,    138, 

158,  resignation,  192,  193,  work, 
138,  139,  i75»  176,  178;  station 
accommodation,  Leeds — Board 
of  Control,  159,  building,  159, 
secretary    of    "Leeds    Central," 

159,  161 

Leeds  and  Manchester  Railway — 
Engineer  Hawkshaw,  160 ;  sta- 
tion accommodation,  Leeds,  1 59 

Leeds,  Dewsbury,  and  Hudders- 
field  Railway,  station  accom- 
modation, Leeds,  159 

Leeds,  Dewsbury,  and  Manchester 
Railway,  opening,  136 

Leenane,  visit  to,  364 


INDEX 


437 


Lees,  Dr,  Anti-Corn -Law  Associa- 
tion speech,  1 1 1 

Leeuvvarden — Description  of,  316  ; 
Frisian  antiquities,  317 

Lefevre  family,  ancestors  of  Lord 
Eversley,  267 

Lefroy,  Sir  J. — Family  descent  from 
Walloon  refugees,  268  ;  story  of 
the  Egyptian  Pasha  and  the 
Woolwich  Arsenal,  352 

Leipzig,  battle  of,  4 

Leith — George  IV.'s  visit  to,  23  ; 
medical  apprenticeship  at,  34 

Leland's  History  of  Ireland^  127 

Lerwick,  373 

"  Let  Me  Rest,"  poem  by  E.  Elliott, 
152 

Lethington,  residence  of  Chancellor 
Maitland,  21 

Letterfrack,  visit  to,  364 

Lewins,  Dr — Apprenticeship  to,  28, 
32 ;  attendance  after  accident, 
28 ;  editing  Dr  Fletcher's  lec- 
tures, 35;  "Infantile  Remittent 
Fever,"  article,  32  ;  Leith,  work 
at,  34  ;  library,  32  ;  medical  men 
as  slaves  of  the  public,  anecdote, 

137 
Lewisham,  railway  service,  242 
Leyden,  stay  in,  67 
Liberty,  personal,  174 
Libraries — Free  libraries,  see  that 

title  ;     Haddington,    2,    9,    30  ; 

itinerant  libraries,  see  that  title 
Liebig,  interview  with   S.  Brown, 

57 

"  Life  Assurance,"  article,  142 

"  Life  Assurance  Companies," 
article,  303 

Life  and  Correspondence  of  the 
First  and  Second  John  Murray^ 
compiling,  401,  408 

Life  of  Brindley^  information  re^ 
184,  250 

Life  of  Carruthers^  by  Dr  White- 
head, 327 

Life  of  Cobden^  by  J.  Morley, 
124 

Life  of  George  Moore — American 
edition,  327  ;  information  re 
character  and  history,  324,  325, 
326,  365  ;  publication,  325  ; 
success  of,  349 ;  translations, 
325,  349  ;  writing,  invitations  to, 
323-325  • 


Life  of  George  Stephenson^  Ameri- 
can infringement  of  copyright, 
220,  224;  completion  of,  217; 
editions,  220,  221  ;  extracts, 
publication  of,  380,  381  ;  infor- 
mation, collecting,  162-164,  179- 
191,  214-216;  postponing  writ- 
ing, 207  ;  presentation  copy,  218, 
219;  publication,  217;  reading 
MS.,  217 ;  reception  by  the 
pubHc,  248;  reviews,  219,220; 
revision  and  correction,  218  ; 
Robert  Stevenson,  summary  of 
life  inserted,  255  ;  treatment  of, 
213  ;  writing,  216 
Life  of  Keats,  by  M.  Milnes,  149 
LJfe  of  Nelson,  by  Southey,  149 
Life  of  Savonarola,  by  P.  Villari, 

342 
Life  of  Telford,  publication  of,  163 
Life  of  Thomas  Edward,  the  Scotch 
Naturalist — Compiling,    collect- 
ing information,  305,  309,  350  ; 
extracts  from,  publication  of,  381 ; 
illustration  of,  309  ;   supplement 
proposed,  351 
Lighthouses  —  Eddystone,      249  ; 
Norwegian,    names    similar    to 
English,  373 
Lime  made  from  shells,  310 
Liquor  licensing  laws,  Norway,  376 
Liquor  traffic,  Ireland,  360 
Liston,  Dr — Lectures,  35  ;  surgeon 

at  Edinburgh  Infirmary,  42 
Literary  honours  —  Alessandro 
Manzoni  Literary  Institution 
Monteleone,  honorary  presi- 
dent, 294  ;  Order  of  SS.  Maur- 
ice and  Lazare,  chevalier  of,  344 
Literary  Institutes,  reading  papers 

before,  89 
Literary  work  —  Business  com- 
patible with,  212  ;  circulation 
and  translation,  2  ;  editor,  train- 
ing for,  anecdote,  130;  editorial 
work,  see  that  title  ;  livelihood, 
as  a  means  of,  129,  130,  134,  137, 
138  ;  lottery  of  success,  327,  350  ; 
piratical  publications,  220,  223, 
224,  294,  308,  325,  349,  378-382, 
401  ;  reviews  of,  fairness  in 
general,  378  ;  selection  of  topics, 
323  ;  successful  men,  choice  of 
for  biographies  alleged,  325  ; 
time  allotted  to  writing,  260,  261, 


438 


INDEX 


Literary  work — continued. 

^'JT. ;  trade,  success  compatible 
with,  152-155  ;  travels  to  collect 
information,  381  ;  for  particular 
works,  see  their  names 

Livelihood — Choice  of  a  profession, 
135-138 ;  literary  work  as  a 
means  of,  129,  130,  134,  137, 
.138 

Liverpool — Emigration  port,  285  ; 
lectures,  129,  264 ;  railway 
accommodation,  135,  234 ;  stay 
in,  84 

Liverpool  and  London  Railway, 
opening,  135 

Liverpool  and  Manchester  Railway 
— Chat  Moss,  190,  191  ;  exten- 
sion of  accommodation,  234  ;  in- 
formation re  undertaking,  215  ; 
opening,  135  ;  secretary,  H. 
Booth,  159,  160 

Lives  of  the  Engineers — Collecting 
information,  250-254 ;  extracts, 
publication  of,  380,  381 ;  material 
for  writing,  249  ;  opinions,  256  ; 
proposal  to  write,  248  ;  publi- 
cation of,  255,  256;  reviews, 
255  ;  size  of,  408  ;  supplemental 
volume,  365 

Lizars,  A. — Anatomy  classes,  42, 
45  ;  lectures,  34 

Lloyd  Jones,  socialist  lecturer,  107 

Loanhead,  visit  to,  23 

Local  legislation,  provision  for,  173 

Lockhart,  publication  of  works,  402 

Locomotive — Blast-pipe,  invention 
of,  215  ;  boiler,  multi-tubular,  in- 
vention, 160;  coupling-screw,  in- 
vention, 160;  history  of,  215,  216; 
invention  of,  275  ;  Watt,  J.,  in- 
vention, 249 

Lombardy,  visit  to,  328 

Lomond,  Loch,  scenery,  373 

London — Chartists' meeting, Palace 
Yard,  75,  81,  83  ;  freedom, 
personal  freedom,  79,  80  ;  Hugue- 
nots, documents  at  Somerset 
House,  273  ;  Mazzini,  work  of, 
72  ;  "  Police  of  London,"  article, 
303 ;  Queen's  Jubilee  celebra- 
tions, 395-397  ;  railway  service, 
135,  198,  233,  234;  stay  in,  71- 
81  ;  Thames  mouth,  description, 
69-71  ;  vastness  and  isolation, 
78-80  ;  water  supply,  249 


London  Copyright  Association — 
Smiles  v.  Belford,  308 

London  and  Birmingham  Railway 
— Completion  of,  135  ;  opening, 
81 

London  and  North-Western  Rail- 
way—  Leeds,  Dewsbury,  and 
Manchester  line  amalgamation, 
136  ;  station  accommodation, 
Leeds,  159 

London  and  South-Western  Rail- 
way, extension  proposed,  238 

"  Long  Serpent,"  pirate  vessel,  370 

Loneliness  in  London,  71 

Longfellow — Evangeline^  149,  150; 
translation  of  Jasmin's  Blind  Girl 
of  Castel-Cuille\  405 

Longman,  T.  —  Life  of  George 
Moore,  323 

Lorenzo  de  Medici,  death,  341 

Lorimer,  Dr — Apprenticeship  to, 
28,  31  ;  lectures  on  chemistry, 
etc.,  31  ;  medical  practice, 
Haddington,  49 

Lothian,  East,  characteristics  of 
peasantry,  49,  50 

Lovett,  Chartist  sympathiser,  75 

Lowry,  Mr — Suffrage  Festival,  96 

"Loyal  Ancient  Shepherds  and 
Shepherdesses"  Society,  104 

Lucerne,  visit  to,  329 

Luckock,  Mr — Testimonial,  138 

Lunden,  visit  to,  277,  373 

Lyons,  visit  to,  271 


Macdougall,    Rev.    Mr— Italian 

presentation,  343 
Macduff —  Herring    fishing,    306  ; 

visit  to  T.  Edward,  309 
Macgregor,  Mr — Chairman,  South- 

Eastern  Railway,  195-197 
Machinery,  essay  on,  117 
Mackintosh,     Dr  —  Advice  —  "A 

rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss," 

60,    134 ;    interview    with,     59 ; 

medical  classes,  42,  44 
Maclagan,   Dr,  medical  examiner, 

Maclaren,    D.,    Secretar>'ship,   the 

Leeds  Northern,  192 
Macleod,   Dr   N.— Anecdotes,    14, 

391 
Madrid— Translation  of  Self-Help^ 
400 


INDEX 


439 


Maggiore,  Lake,  visit  to,  344 

Magnussen,  Mr — Paintings,  281 

Mahratta  War,  services  of  J. 
Hume,  100 

Maidstone,  railway  service,  243 

Maitland,  Chancellor,  residence  of, 
21 

Maitland,  Lord,  "Lauder  Raid," 
40 

Manchester  —  Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
Association,  see  Anti-Corn-Law 
League  ;  Chartist  agitation,  90  ; 
education  agitation,  168,  169 ; 
labouring  classes,  condition  of, 
115  ;  lectures,  129,  264;  railway 
accommodation,  135,  234  ;  riots, 
91  ;  strikes,  103 

Manchester  Guardian^  Anti-Corn- 
Law  League,  112 

Manchester  Unity  of  Oddfellows — 
Meeting,  141  ;  member  of,  104 

Manchester  and  Leeds  Railway — 
Execution  of,  correspondence  of 
G.  Stephenson,  218  ;  opening  of, 

135 

Manchester  and  Liverpool  Railway, 
life  of  engineer,  84 

Mann,  Mr — Guides  to  the  Colonies, 
etc.,  publisher,  127  ;  History  of 
Ireland^  publisher,  127,  128,  138 

Manning,  Cardinal,  337 

Manners,  essentials  of  a  gentle- 
man in  all  classes,  50 

Mantegazza,  Prof — Acquaintance 
with,  342 ;  Florentine  album 
presentation,  343 

Manufacturers  Relief  Committee, 
London,   relief  to  Leeds'    poor. 

Manufactures,  a  nation  built  on — 
Southey,  120 

Maree,  Loch,  visit  to,  322 

Margaret,  Queen  of  James  IIL, 
dowry,  307 

Margate,  railway  service,  233 

Marken,  storm  1877,  314 

Marriage,  128 

Marseilles,  visit  to,  272 

Marsh  drainer,  Capt.  Perry,  249 

Marshall,  H.  C— Leeds  and  Thirsk 
Railway,  chairman,  138  ;  recom- 
mendation, 192 ;  Wharfedale 
Railroad,  foundation  stone,  139 

Marshall,  J.  G.  —  Anti-Corn-Law 
Association  speech,   1 1 1  ;    char- 


Marshall,  J.  G. — continued. 

acter,  Cobden  on,  1 12  ;  education, 
national    system,    172 ;    House- 
hold     Suffrage     Association  — 
"Justice  for  each  and  for  all," 
addresses,  94,  speeches,  92,  96 
Marshall,  Messrs — Strikes,  "Sacred 
Month"  rioters  attack  mills,  123  ; 
Suffrage  Festival  in  mills,  95 
Marston  Moor,  battle  of,  148 
Martigny,  visit  to,  329 
Martin,  Mr,  research  work,  251 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scots — Refuge  in 
Hailes  Castle,  22  ;  secretary  and 
adviser,  21 
Mask,    Lough,    canal    to     Lough 

Corrib,  363 
Mason,  Mr — Suffrage  Festival,  96 
Matriculation  examination,  34 
Matura  Cong,  battle,  363 
Maudslay,    H.,    life    of — Collect- 
ing information,   258  ;    extracts, 
publication  of,  380 
Maurice,    Rev,    F.    D. — Christian 

Socialism,  105 
Mayer,  General  E. — El  Evangelio 

Social^  398-400 
Maynooth,  journey  through,  357 
Mazolini,     Signora,    professor    of 

anatomy,  344 
Mazzini,  work  in  England  during 

exile,  72 
Meath,  pasture  land,  357 
Mechanics      Institute  —  Libraries 
connected  with,  155  ;  Yorkshire, 
soirees,  89 
Medical    profession  —  Apprentice- 
ship,  28,    29,    31,    34;    country 
doctor's    life,   49,    52 ;    diploma, 
examination,  45,  46  ;  livelihood, 
as   a  means   of,   134,  136,   137  ; 
M.D. — Examination,  67,  studies, 
65,  67  ;  number  of  surgeons  in 
excess  of  demand,  47  ;  Practice 
— Berwick    neighbourhood,    60, 
61,  Doncaster,   practice  in  pro- 
posed,  84,    Haddington,    49-52, 
60,  65,  Holbeck,  127,  Leith,  34  ; 
Prejudices     against,      27,      28 ; 
"resurrectionists,"     28;     slaves 
of   the    public,    anecdote,    137  ; 
studies,  34,  42,  44-46 
Medway,  mouth  of,  70 
Melbourne,  Lord — Corn-Laws,  91, 
98 


440 


INDEX 


Melrose,  visit  to,  365 

"  Men  and  Times  of  the  Common- 
wealth," lectures,  129 

Men  of  Invention  and  Industry 
— Belfast  people,  character  of, 
364 ;  investment  of  capital  for 
employment  of  native  labour, 
358  ;  preparation  of,  366  ;  publi- 
cation, 366,  378 

Menabrea,  Count — Chevalier  of  the 
Order  of  SS.  Maurice  and  Lazare, 
conferring,  345  ;  Italian  examples 
of  courage  and  perseverance, 
compiling  book  proposed,  345 

Menstrie,  visit  to,  322 

Montrose — J.  Hume  returned  as 
member,  102 

Metals,  use  of  —  Industrial  Bio- 
graphy, i^Z 

Metaphysics — Corpuscular  science, 

53-55 

Metcalfe — Moderate  means,  326 

Metz,  siege  of,  282 

Middelburg — Sea  inundations,  320 ; 
visit  to,  310,  317 

Middelfart,  visit  to,  289 

Middlesborough,  railway  service, 
141,  158 

Middleton,  J. — Household  Suffrage 
Association,  93 

Milan,  visit  to,  328,  344 

Millwall,  river  scene,  71 

Milman,  publication  of  works,  402 

Milnes,  M.  (Poet)  — Free  Public 
Libraries,  155  ;  Life  of  Keats ,  149 

Milnes,  M.  (senior) — Old  Hough- 
ton Hall,  149 

Milsom,  Mr,  visit  to  Protestants  of 
Dauphiny,  271 

Milton,  Sir  J. — Revision  of  Life  of 
George  Stephenson,  218 

Miosen  Lake,  visit  to,  367 

Moir,  Mr — Suffrage  Festival,  96 

Molde,  cholera  scare,  368 

Molesworth,  Sir  W.,  Leeds  parlia- 
mentary candidate,  100 

Monk  Frystone,  residence  of  the 
Milne  family,  149 

Monopolies,  abolition  of  proposed, 

Monro  Publishing  House,  republi- 
cation of  works,  308 

Montaigne,  M.,  French  descent, 
404 

Montaigne  family,  sketch  of,  404 


Montaigne's  Essays,  297 

Monte  Carlo,  visit  to,  409 

Montgomery,  J.,  meeting  with,  82 

Monthly  Repository,  contributors, 
52  ;  Gillies,  Mrs  M.  L.,  contri- 
butions, 76 ;  "  Memoranda  of 
Observations  and  Experiments 
in  Education,"  'j'j 

Montlucon,  visit  to,  271 

Montpellier,  visit  to,  272 

Montrose,  Marquis  of,  lines,  254 

Moore,  G.,  see  Life  of  George 
Moore 

Moore,  M.,  visit  to,  409 

Moore,  Mrs — Life  of  George  Moore, 
3235  325  ;  visit  to,  364 

Moore's  History  of  Ireland,  127 

Morley,  J. — Life  of  Cobden,  124 

Mortality,  "Law  of  Mortality  and 
Sickness,"  142 

Mother,  ancestors,  13 

Moulins,  visit  to,  271 

Mount  Lebanon — Translation  of 
Self-Help  into  Arabic,  230 

Mourek,  V.  E. — Translations,  295, 
386,  387 

Municipal  Corporation  Act,  local 
legislation,  173 

Munich,  visits  to,  328,  349 

Mungo  Park — Medical  practice, 
Peebles,  49 

Munkmarsh,  visit  to,  287 

"  Munster,  Autumn  Trip  through," 
article,  165 

Murders  —  Phoenix     Park,     356  ; 


"Murray" — Copenhagen  Museums, 
289 

Murray,  Dr  T.,  editor,  Edinburgh 
Weekly  Chronicle,  64 

Murray,  John,  Firm  oi—Life  and 
Correspondence  of  the  First  and 
Second  John  Murray,  401,  408  ; 
Life  of  George  Moore,  invitation 
to  write,  323 ;  Life  of  George 
Stephenson,  publication  of,  217  ; 
piratical  literature,  379 ;  Quar- 
terly Review,  articles  for,  248  ; 
Self- Help,  publication  of,  221,  222 

Museums  of  Art  and  Science  in 
Municipal  Boroughs,  extension 
of,  156 

Music,  study  of,  52 

Musselburgh,  view  of,  22 


INDEX 


441 


Mutual  Help  Society,  295 

Mutual    Improvement   Societies — 

Address  to  Leeds  Society,  131- 

134;  article,  161  ;  libraries,  155 
Myddelton,    Engineer  —  Life    of, 

information  re^  250  ;  water  supply 

to  London,  249 

Nakamura,  Prof.  K.— Translation 
of  Self-Help,  230 

Napier,  Col.,  views  on  Corn-Laws, 
ii8 

Napier's  History  of  the  Peninsular 
War,  354 

Naples  —  Assassination  of  Victor 
Emmanuel  attempted,  333 ; 
begging,  412 ;  Frobel  Institu- 
tion, establishment  and  growth, 
412,  414-417  ;  visit  to,  329,  330 

Napoleon  Bonaparte — Continental 
War,  3,  4 ;  downfall  of,  4 ; 
English  invasion  threatened,  3 

Napoleon  III.,  visit  to  England,  198 

Nasal  twang,  origin  of,  313 

Nasmyth,  Mr  —  Autobiography, 
compiling,  348,  extracts,  publi- 
cation of,  380,  publication  of, 
351  ;  information  re  Maudslay, 
etc.,  258 

National  Education  versus  Volun- 
tary System,  agitation  of  Church 
and  Dissent,  165-175 

National  Gallery,  open  to  the 
public,  102 

National  Public  School  Association, 
starting  —  Agitation  of  Church 
and  Dissent,  168-175 

Navarre,  Henry  of— Pau    Castle, 

354 
Navy,  reduced  scale  of,  47 
Nelson,  life  of,  149 
Neolithic    barrow,   Wenningstedt, 

287 
"  Ness,"  commonness   of  word  in 

English  and  Frisian  names,  283 
Neufchatel,  visit  to,  329 
Nevison,  highwayman,  147 
New  Chapel,  visit  to,  250 
New  Year's  Day,  holiday,  17 
New    York,    piratical    publishing 

establishment,  378 
New  Wortley,   Sunday  addresses, 

127 
Newburn-on-the-Tyne,    life  of   G. 

Stephenson  at,  182  • 


Newcastle  —  Buildings  resembling 
old  houses  at  Hamburg,  277 ; 
manufactory  for  building  loco- 
motives, 186 ;  railway  service, 
158,  176;  riots,  91;  visits  to, 
163,  178 
Newport  —  Chartist    insurrection, 

91 
Newspaper,    starting   in    London, 

proposed,  171 
Newspaper    stamp,    abolition    of, 

171 
Newspaper    Work,    see    Editorial 

Work 
Niccolo  Machiavelli  and  his  Times, 

342 
Nice  Carnival,  329 
Nicholas     of    Russia  —  Patriotic 

struggle  of  Hungary,  146 
Nicoll,  R.— Death,  84  ;  lines  on  R. 
Burns,     182 ;      literature    as    a 
livelihood,  129 
Nieblum,  visit  to,  281 
Niell's  library,  30 
Nielson,  Peg,  stories,  20 
Nineteenth  Century,  read  by  Queen 

of  Italy,  337 
Nismes,  visit  to,  272 
Nobility,    titles    of,    abolished    in 

Norway,  373 
Nonconformist,  review  of  History 

of  Ireland,  128 
Nonconformists,  see  Dissenters 
Nore  light,  70 
Norfolk,  resemblance  of  people  to 

Dutch,  313 
Normandy  —  Conquest    by    "Rolf 
the  Ganger,"  371  ;  head-gear  of 
women,  375 
Normanton,  railway  service,  177 
North  Berwick  Law,  view  of,  22 
North  British  Review,  articles  by 

S.  Brown,  57 
North-Eastern    Railway,    amalga- 
mation of  Leeds  Northern,  198 
North-Midland   Railway,   opening 

of  Leeds  to  Derby  line,  135 
Northallerton,  railway  service,  141 
Northcote,    Sir   S. — Lives    of   the 

Engineers,  256 
Northern     Star,    Chartist    organ, 
opposition  to  the  Leeds  Times, 
64,85,87,91,97,  119 
Northumberland,  resemblance    of 
people  to  Norwegians,  371 
2    E    2 


442 


INDEX 


Northumberland    House,   site    for 
Charing  Cross  station  proposed, 

239 
Norway  —  Emigration,  279,  306, 
377  ;  house,  description  of,  374  ; 
journey  across,  292  ;  Language — 
Enghsh  similarities,  368,  371, 
373,  Scottish  similarities,  307, 
37I)  374;  People — Appearance, 
370,  English  resemblances,  372  ; 
Politics,  376 ;  Scotland,  inhabi- 
tants of  Norwegian  ancestry,  306, 
307 ;  Self-Help^  translation  of, 
401  ;  titles  of  nobility  abolished, 
373 ;  visit  to,  description  of 
places  and  people,  367-378 


O'CONNELL,  Dan,  Household  Suf- 
frage Association  speech,  96 

O'Connor,  F. — Imprisonment,  91  ; 
Chartist  agitation,  75,  87,  88 ; 
Corn-Laws,  views  on,  118; 
Northern  Star,  editor,  85  ; 
"Sacred  Month,"  120;  "Will 
they  try  Corn,"  story,  90 

O'Conor,  Roderick,  last  native 
king  of  Ireland,  362 

O'Neil,  Mr — Suffrage  Festival,  96 

Oatmeal,  price  of,  5 

Oberland  Alps,  view  of,  354 

Oddfellows''  Magazine^  editing  and 
articles  for,  142 

Oddfellows,  Manchester  Unity  of, 
141,  142 

Ohio,  Self-Help  for  school  libraries, 
223 

Olaf  Trygvesson,  king — Expedi- 
tions, 370 

Old  Houghton  Hall,  description 
and  history,  144,  145,  148,  149 

Old  Wenningsted,  submersion  of, 
285 

Operative  Land  and  Building 
Society,  socialist  movement,  107 

Order  of  Ancient  Buffaloes,  104 

Orderof  Merit  conferred,  Chevalier 
of  the  Order  of  SS.  Maurice 
and  Lazare,  344 

Order  of  the  Ark  and  of  the 
Peaceful  Dove,  104 

Orkneys,  Norwegian  ancestry,  307 

Orthez,  fight,  354 

Ossett,  Anti-Corn-Law  Association 
address,  123 


Ostade — Pictures,  311 

"Our    Gideon    Grays,"    life   of 

country  doctor,  49 
Outline  of  the  Rational  System  oj 

Society,  by  R.  Owen,  106 
Overwork,  illness,  261,  297-301 
Ovingham,  visit  to,  180 
Owen,  R. — Socialist  movement,  105 
Oxford,  people  resembling  those  of 

Hamburg,  277 


Padua,  women  celebrated  for 
learning,  344 

Pagan  superstitions  among  the 
Basques,  356 

Paine,  T.  —  Socialist  movement, 
106 

Painting — copying  Sir  R.  Wallace's 
pictures,  300,  322  ;  practice,  52 

Paladini,  Prof.,  interview  with,  409 

Palermo — Education,  414 

Paley — "Health  and  virtue  of  a 
child's  life,"  62 

Pali — Translation  of  Self -Help,  401 

Palissy  the  potter,  birthplace,  406 

Pannal,  railway  service,  139 

Paralysis,  attack  of,  298 

Parents — Education  of  their  chil- 
dren, 14;  industry,  15  ;  see  also 
titles  Father  and  Mother 

Paris — Revolution,  July  1830,  36; 
siege  of,  4;  visits  to,  329,  356, 
409 

Parker,  C. — Information  re  G. 
Stephenson,  216 

Parliament — Dissolution,  99;  party 
spirit,  chaos,  117;  Peel  ministry, 
107,  119;  triennial  parHaments 
proposed,  94 

Parliament,  Houses  of,  public 
admitted,  102 

Parliamentary  elections — General 
election  1841,  107  ;  Leeds  Con- 
stituency, candidates,  99-102  ; 
Reform  Bill  elections — "  Lauder 
Raid,"  38-42 

Parliamentary  Legislation — Corn- 
Laws,  see  that  title  ;  Darlington 
to  Stockton  Railway,  184  ;  Edu- 
cation Bill,  167,  168,  169,  172, 
175  ;  Finance  Reform,  move- 
ment of  J.  Hume,  loi ;  Franchise, 
see  that  title ;  East  Kent  Rail- 
way extension,  233,  234  ;  House- 


INDEX 


443 


Parliamentary  Legislation — cont. 
hold  Suffrage,  175  ;  Leeds 
Northern  Railway — Amalgama- 
tion Bill,  176,  177,  extension, 
158  ;  Public  Libraries  Act,  155, 
156  ;  South-Eastern  Railway, 
Charing  Cross  terminus,  239 

Parnell,  Mr — Irish  labour  and 
capital,  358 

Parr,  Dr,  consultation,  365 

Parr,  Dr  and  Mrs,  Norwegian 
tour,  367 

Passi,  Laura,  Professor  of  Philo- 
sophy, 344 

Pau,  description  of,  353 

Paulton,  Mr,  Anti  -  Corn  -  Law 
Association  lecture,  88,  146 

Peach,  Mr,  visit  to,  323 

Peacock  &  Co. — Engines  used  in 
Holland,  317 

Pearse,  gold  robbery,  S  outh-Eastern 
Railway,  202-206,  291 

Pease,  E. — Stephenson,  G.,  infor- 
mation re  visit  to,  183-186  ; 
Stockton  and  Darhngton  Rail- 
way, projection  and  construction, 
215 

Peel,  Sir  R. — Corn-Laws,  Repeal 
of,  124,  sliding-scale  of  duties, 
120;  government,  want  of  con- 
fidence in,  motion,  99  ;  ministry, 
formation  of,  107  ;  ministry  1842, 
119  ;  popularity  as  a  leader,  117 

Pegasus^  wreck  of,  66 

Peninsular  War — Napier's  History 
of,  354 ;  Wellington's  victories, 

3 
Penn,  Mr — Information  re  mven- 

tors,  257 
Penrhyn    Quay,    slate-counter — J. 

Jones,  365 
Pentland,  meeting  of  Covenanters, 

13 
Pentland  Firth,  sketch  of  cliff,  322 
People^  The,  contributions,  161 
People's  Journal,  start  and  finish 

of,  142 
Percival,  Dr — Life  and  character  of 

G.  Moore,  324 
Perigueux,     description    of,    404  ; 

visit  to,  403 
Perry,  Capt.,  marsh  drainer,  249 
Perseverance,  Carlyle  on,  384,  395  ; 

Self-Help,    illustrative  of,    222 ; 

success  due  to,  12,  326    % 


"Personal  liberty,"  Cobden  on, 
174 

Peterhead,  resemblance  of  fisher- 
men to  Norwegians,  371 

Phantassie,  visit  to,  250 

Philanthropy— Efforts  of  J.  Hume, 
102 

Philosophy — Professor  Signora  L. 
Passi,  344 

Philosophy  of  Health,  78 

"  Philosophy  of  the  Sciences,"  lec- 
ture by  S.  Brown,  56 

Physical  Education — Opinions  of, 
74,  76,  80  ;  preparation  and 
publication,  62-64 ;  reviews,  63 

Physiology  and  the  Conditions  of 
Health,  lectures  on,  52 

Phoenix  Park  murders,  356 

Photograph,  presentation  to  Hun- 
garian physician,  385 

Piazza  of  Michael  Angelo,  341 

Picke,  Hon.  M.,  visit  to,  317 

Pirates,  expeditions  from  Trond- 
hjem,  370 

Piratical  publications,  see  Copy- 
right 

Places,  names  of,  similarity  of 
Norwegian  and  English,  373 

Poetic  and  literary  tastes  com- 
patible with  success  in  trade, 
152-155 

Poitiers,  visit  to,  271 

Poland— Translation  of  Self-Help, 
401 

"  Police  of  London,"  article,  303 

Political  Economy,  by  Mr  Fawcett, 

358 

Political  opinion,  party  spirit,  117 

Pompeii,  visit  to,  412 

Pontresina,  visit  to,  349 

"  Popular  Amusement  and  Recrea- 
tion," 142 

Porridge,  price  of  oatmeal,  5 

Portrait,  painting  by  G.  De  Sanctis, 

411 
Portraits  Contemporains,  notice  of 

J.  Jasmin,  405 

Portugal  —  Translation  of  Self- 
Help,  401 

Post  Office  Savings  Bank,  initiation 
of  system,  303 

Postal  reform,  scheme  of  Rowland 
Hill,  74,  75 

Practical  Treatise  on  Railroads, 
215 


444 


INDEX 


"  Practice  of  Temperance,"  article, 

i6i 
Prague — Translation  of  Self-Help^ 

229 
Prayer    Book    and    Cojnme?ttary, 

publication  of  extracts,  380 
Preaching — Anecdote  of  Rev.    N. 

Macleod,  14 
Presentations — Florentine    Album 

from  Italian  friends,  343  ;  South- 

Eastern  Company,  presentation 

on  retirement,  262 
"Preservation  of  Health,"  article, 

161 
Preston,  strikes,  103 
Press,  attitude  towards  Anti-Corn- 
Law  League,  112 
Press  Association  reception,  Italy, 

410 
Priestly,  Mrs,  visit  to,  347 
Princess  Louise's  marriage,  picture, 

281 
Princess  of  Thule^  Queen  of  Italy's 

admiration  for,  337 
Pri7uiples  of  Physiology  applied  to 

the  Preservation  of  Healthy  by 

Dr  Combe,  62 
Printers'  proofs,  correcting,  298 
Printing  press,  invention  of  R.  Hill, 

Profession,  choice  of,  26,  135-138 
"  Proofs,"  correction  of,  298 
Property  qualifications  of  the  Fran- 
chise, 94,  124 
"  Provide,"  article,  142 
"  Providing  against  the  Evil  Day," 

article,  161 
Prussia — Invasion   by   France,  3  ; 

visit  to  Homburg,  348 
Prussia,  Crown  Prince  and  Prin- 
cess,  Queen  Victoria's    Jubilee, 
396 
Public  Education^  by  R.  Hill,  73 
Public  libraries — Act,  Permissive, 
156  ;  see  also  Free  and  Itinerant 
libraries 
Public  museums  of  Art  and  Science 
in  municipal  boroughs,  extension 
of,  156 
Publishers,  piratical,  America,  378 
Pudhoe  Castle,  180 
Purdie,  Mr,  visit  to,  347 
Puritans,  nasal  twang,  314 
Pursuit  of  Knowledge  under  Diffi- 
culties^ by  Craik,  222 


Quarterly  Review — Articles  writ- 
ten, list  of,  248,  302 ;  Benefit 
Societies,  105  ;  Brunels,  review 
of,  255  ;  railway  companies,  un- 
restricted competition,  235  ; 
"Watt,  J.,"  article,  350  ;  "Work- 
men's Earnings  and  Savings," 
article,  302 

Queen  Victoria — Accession,  396  ; 
crowning,  75  ;  Jubilee  celebra- 
tions, 395-397 

Queen's  Speech,  1842,  119 

Quirinale,  Palace  of,  interview  with 
Queen  Margherita,  336-338 


Rab  and  his  Friends^  recollections 
of  the  author,  35 

Race — Basque  race,  study  of,  tour 
among,  353-356 ;  book  on,  con- 
templated, 372  ;  Danes,  resem- 
blance to  English,  371  ;  Finland, 
Professor  Mantegazza's  interest 
in,  342  ;  French,  comparison 
with  EngHsh,  352  ;  Frisians, 
resemblance  to  English,  study 
of,  276-289,  367,  371  ;  Norwe- 
gians, resemblance  to  English 
and  Scotch,  371,  372,  373; 
observations  on,  notes,  321  ; 
Teutonic  race,  characteristics, 
320 

Railroads^  Practical  Treatise  on^  by 
N.  Wood,  2 1 5 

Railway  accidents — Remedies  for, 
245  ;  Shakespeare  Cliff  Tunnel, 
207  ;  South  -  Eastern  Railway, 
Staplehurst,  244 

Railway  companies,  competition 
unrestricted,  234-236.  For  par- 
ticular companies,  see  their 
names 

Railway  coupling-screw  invention, 
160 

Railway  engine,  see  Locomotive 

Railway  engineering,  difficulties  of, 
248,  302 

Railway  monopoly.  The  Great, 
article,  302 

Railway  multi-tubular  boiler,  inven- 
tion, 160 

Railways — Extension  of,  135,  136. 
For  particular  railways,  see  their 
names 


INDEX 


445 


Railway  work,  see  Leeds  and  Thirsk 
Railway,  and  South  -  Eastern 
Railway 

Ralston,  Mr— Translation  of  Self- 
Help^  229 

Rates  of  contribution.  Suggestions 
for  the  improvement  of  the, 
article,  142 

Rattray,  J. — Corn  -  Laws,  parlia- 
mentary consideration  of,  119; 
enumeration  committee,  114,  119 

Reading,  29,  30,  52 

Reaping  machines,  invention  of,  14 

Reboul,  baker  of  Nismes,  405 

Recess,  visit  to,  364 

"  Recollections  "  by  Adolphus  Trol- 
lope,  26 

Recreation,  8,  15,  247,  351 

Recreation,  Popular  Amusement 
and,  article,  142 

Redemption  Society  —  Socialist 
movement,  107 

Rees,  Mr — Gold  robbery,  South- 
Eastern  Railway,  201  -  206  ; 
South-Eastern  Railway  solicitor, 
237 

Reeve,  Miss,  superintendent  of 
Frobel  Institute,  414 

Reggio,  victory  of  Garibaldi,  413 

Reichlin,  Baron  F. — Florentine 
Album  Presentation,  343 

Reid,  Sir  G. — Illustration  of  life  of 
T.  Edward,  309 

Reform  Bill — Franchise,  91  ;  pass- 
ing, "  Lauder  Raid,"  etc.,  36-42 

Religious  instruction  in  schools, 
165 

Rennie — Birthplace,  250  ;  bridges, 
constructor  of,  249  ;  life  of, 
information  r<?,  253 ;  moderate 
means,  326 ;  Stockton  and  Dar- 
lington Railway,  184 
Representative  Men,  by  Emerson, 

404 
"  Resurrectionists,"  Haddington,  28 
Retrospection,  383 
Reviews — Books,   reviews    of,    see 
names    of   books  ;    writing    for 
Eliza  Cook^s  Journal,  164 
Rhine — Journey  down,   328,   349  ; 

walking  tour,  68,  165 
Rhodes,   Sir    W.— Old   Houghton 

Hall,  148 
Ricci,    Marchese,    meeting     with, 

•642 


Richardson,  Rev.  Mr  —  Chartist 
agitator,  75  ;  education  system, 
168 

Richelieu,  Cardinal  —  Bombard- 
ment of  La  Rochelle,  269 

Riforma,  notice  of  visit  to  Rome, 
409 

Riots,  91 

Ripon,  railway  service,  139 

Riviera,  visit  to,  409 

Roads,  constructor  Telford,  249 

Robbery  of  gold  on  South-Eastern 
Railway,  199-207 

"Robin  Redbreast,"  poem  by  E. 
Elliott,  151 

Robison,  Professor  —  Transmuta- 
tion of  bodies,  55 

"Rocket,"  railway  engine,  prize, 
160 

Rodenberg,  ].~Stilleben  auf  Sylt, 
284 

Roebuck,  Dr,  connection  with  J. 
Watt,  252 

Roebuck,  J.  A.  —  Parliamentary 
work,  117;  "  Science  of  Govern- 
ment," lecture,  95  ;  steam  engine, 
connection  with  J.  Watt,  251  ; 
Suffrage  Festival  speaker,  96 

"Rolf  the  Ganger"— Conquest  of 
Normandy,  371 

"Rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss," 
60,  134 

Roman  art  in  Italy,  339 

Roman  Catholics — "  The  Educa- 
tion of  the  Working  Classes," 
lecture,  134 ;  friendliness  with, 
134 

Roman  road,  towns  situated  along, 
181 

Rome — Newspaper  reports  of  visit, 
335  ;  surrender  to  the  French, 
escape  of  Garibaldi,  334  ;  Trevi, 
fountain  of,  tradition,  340,  395  ; 
visits  to,  329,  331-340,  395,  409- 
412 
Romsdal  Fjord,  visit  to,  postponed, 

368 
Rosendal — Yachts   and   schooner, 

373 
Rosenkrantz,  Baron,  residence,  373 
Rossetti — Ciceruacchio,  statue   of^ 

335  ;     Self-Help,    statue,     332 ; 

visit  to,  332 
Rosslyn  Castle  and  Chapel,  visit  to, 

23 


446 


INDEX 


Rotondi — Translation  of  Character^ 

294 
Rotterdam,  visit  to,  66,  317 
Rousseau's  paintings,  copying,  300 
Routledge  &  Co.,  Messrs,  refusal  to 

publish  Self-Help^  ii^^ 
Royal  Scottish  Academy, University 

tercentenary  festivities,  366 
Royal   Swedish   Railway,  General 

Manager  Tester,  200,  291 
Royal  Swedish  Railway  manager's 

wife,  mutual  acquaintances,  290, 

291 
Royat,  visit  to,  402,  408 
Rubens,  colouring  of  portraits,  311 
Russell,     Lord    J.,    popularity    as 

leader,  117 
Russia  —  Army,    404  ;    Character^ 

translation    of,    295  ;    Hungary, 

patriotic  struggle,  146 ;  invasion 

by    France,     3,    4 ;     Self-Help^ 

translation  of,  229,  401 
Ruyter,  Admiral  de — Portrait,  312  ; 

rope  making,  318 
Ryde,  Mr — South-Eastern  Railway 

terminus,  Charing  Cross,  238,  241 
Ryton  station,  visit  to,  181 


"  Sacred  Month"  strikes,  120-123 

St  Abb's  Head,  storm  off,  66 

St  Andrews,  stay  at,  347 

Saint   Bartholomew,  massacre   of, 

imprisonment  of  PaHssy,  406 
St  Bernard,  Great,  climb  over,  329 
St    Giles'    Cathedral,    Edinburgh, 

sermon,  366 
St  Jean  de  Luz,  description  of  place 

and  people,  355 
St  Leonard's,  visit  to,  305 
St  Ruth— Contest  at  Athlone,  357 
St   Thomas's    Hospital  —  Charing 

Cross     line,     opposition,     239  ; 

purchase  of  property  by  railv^ay 

company,  240,  241 
St    Vincent,    Bory  de,   naturalist, 

birthplace,  406 
Sainte  -  Beuve  —  Notices      of     J. 

Jasmin,  405 
Sagasta,  Josephina  P.  de,  praise  of 

El  Evangeiio  Social^  399 
Salazaro,  Signora  Z.,  higher  educa- 
tion of  women,  Rome,  417 
Saltburn-on-the-Sea,  visit  to,  365 
Saltoun,  seat  of  A.  Fletcher,  21 


Salzburg,  visit  to,  349 

San  Giovanni,  victory  of  Garibaldi, 

413 
San  Marco  and  Savonarola,  340 
Sanitation    movement — E.    Chad- 
wick,  78 
Saturday  Review — A  Bo^s  Voyage 

Round  the   Worlds  review,  293  ; 

Life     of     George     Stephenson^ 

review,      220 ;      Lives     of    the 

Engineers^  review,  255 
Saunders,  J. — PeopW s  Journal^  142 
Savonarola,  G. — Journey  south  via 

Bologna,    343 ;    life    of,    by    P. 

Villari,    342 ;    picture    of,    341  ; 

San  Marco,  340 
Saxons,  ancestors  of  the  English, 

276 
Scaliger,  J.  J.,  birthplace,  406 
Scandinavian    language,    English 

derivations,  368 
Schleswig-Holstein,  tour  through, 

276 
School  days — Amusements,  8,  15  ; 

holidays,  16,  17  ;  reminiscences, 

7-13,  16 
Schools,  National  and  Voluntary, 

agitation  of  Church  and  Dissent, 

165-175 

Schwate,  Mrs  S. — Frobel  Institu- 
tion, Naples,  412,  414-417 

Science,  extension  of  museums  in 
municipal  boroughs,  1 56 

"Science  of  Government,"  lecture 
by  Mr  Roebuck,  95 

Scotland  —  Edinburgh,  see  that 
title  ;  education  in,  7  ;  emigration, 
279  ;  Frisian  characteristics,  286  ; 
Norwegian  characteristics,  306, 
30?)  37 1)  374  ;  timber  trade  with 
Norway,  375  ;  tour  in,  347 

Scotch  naturalist,  J-*?*?  Life  of  Thomas 
Edward^  the  Scotch  Naturalist 

Scottish  Academy,  University  ter- 
centenary, 366 

Scottish  Dictio7iary^  "  Cutty  Stool," 
18 

Scott,  Sir  W.— Death,  48  ;  life  of, 
by  Lockhart,  219;  lines  by 
Montrose,  254  ;  Queen  of  Italy's 
admiration  for,  337  ;  remini- 
scences of,  20,  21 

Scoular,  G.,  sketch  of  life,  59 

Screw  steamer,  invention,  275 

"  Siege  of  Bolton,"  publication  of,  90 


INDEX 


447 


Selby,  373 

Self-Help — Editions,  223,  388,  400, 
American,  223  ;  Edward,  T., 
sketch  of,  305  ;  Evangelic  S octal ^ 
El^  398-400  ;!  Hume,  J.,  philan- 
thropic efforts  encouraged  by, 
102 ;  Hungarian  appreciation, 
translation,  386 ;  Italian  examples 
of  courage  and  perseverance, 
publication  of,  proposed,  345  ; 
Japanese  admiration  for,  304 ; 
lecture  form,  "  The  Education  of 
the  Working  Classes,"  134 ; 
motto  proposed,  254  ;  object  of 
writing,  222  ;  preface,  failures 
unrecorded,  alleged,  391  ;  prize 
to  schoolboy,  326 ;  publication 
of,  213,  221,  222  ;  reception, 
testimony  of  readers,  224-228, 
331,  341,  388,  389,  392 ;  re-writing, 
221  ;  rising  generation,  effect 
on,  388  ;  statue  of,  by  Rossetti, 
332  ;  translations,  228-231,  386, 
387,  389,  398-401,  409 

Serbs— Translation  of  Thrift^  308 

Sessona,   M.,    "Volere   e    Potere," 

345 
Shakespeare  Cliff  Tunnel  accident, 

207 
Sharpe,  C,  success  and  failure,  394 
Sheffield — Anti-Corn-Law  Associa- 
tion, 146  ;  description  of,  81 
5^^^/^ /m— Contributions  of  Dr 

Carstairs,  82  ;  editor,  82 
Shelley— Poetry,  52 
Shells,  lime  made  from,  310 
Sheriff,    C— Recollections    of    P. 

Hardie,  9 
Sheriffs,  A.,  sketch  of  career,  141 
Shetlands — Norwegian      ancestry, 

307 
Siam — Translation  of  ^^^-^^f^,  401 
Sickness,  Laws  of  mortality   and, 

142 
Silkes,  Sir  C.  W.— Advice  re  Thrift, 

304 
Silt— Name,  origin   of,    283  ;  visit 

to,  2^3 
Silurians  or  Basques  in' Wales,  355 
Simpson,  Bailie,  "  Lauder  Raid,"  40 
Simson,  Dr,  medical  examiner,  45 
Sinclair,    Sir    J. — Anecdote,   257  ; 

"  Cutty  Stool,"  18 
Sketching,  illustrations  for  Life  of 
•   R.  Dick^  322  ^ 


Skidhill,  view  from,  22 

Skipton,       Mr,       Anti-Corn-Law 

League  address,  123 
Slater,  Mr— Cheap  series  of  books, 

Physical  Education^  63 
Sligo,  visit  to,  364 
Smeaton — Lighthouse,   Eddystone 
Rock,  249  ;  moderate  means,  326 
Smiles,  J. — Brother-in-law  meeting 
nephew,  291  ;  illness  of,  5  ;  paper 
manufactory,  payment  of  security, 
44  ;  thrift  as  a  boy,  19 
"Smiles's  Pearls,"  Hungarian  trans- 
lation of  Self  Help,  386 
Smith,  Dr  S. — Contributor  to  the 
Monthly  Repository,  52  ;  meeting 
with,  78  ;  writing,  style,  217 
Smith,  H.,  medical  studies,  45 
Smith,  P. — Screw-steamer,  275 
Smolen,  view  of,  369 
Socialist      movement  —  Christian 
socialism,  105  ;  estate,  Tytherly, 
107;  friendliness  with  socialists, 
134;    nature   of,   E.   ElHott  on, 
146  ;  working  and  tenets  of,  105- 
107 
Societies,  see  Benefit  Societies 
Society  of  Arts,  "Technical  Edu- 
cation," address,  264 
Somerset  House,  Huguenot  docu- 
ments at,  273 
Songton,  Mrs,  dinner,  389 
Sopwith,  T. — Life  of,  255  ;    infor- 
mation re   G.  Stephenson,   216, 
217 
Sor  Fjord,  scenery,  375 
"  Sound,"  Scandinavian  name,  368 
South  -  Eastern      Railway  —  Acci- 
dents,    remedies    against,    246, 
Staplehurst,  244;  Board  of  Direc- 
tors— chairman,   Hon.   J.  Byng, 
197,  election  of,  I95-I97,meetings, 
209,  232  ;  capital  account,  closing 
proposed,   233,    238,    242,    243  ; 
changes  in  staff,  etc.,  200  ;  East 
Kent   Company,    197,    198,   232, 
233  ;  general  manager.  Barlow, 
Capt.,    193,    Eborall,    Mr,    232  ; 
gold  robbery,  199-207,  291  ;  "in- 
capables,"  employment  of,   198, 
199  ;    Lewisham  and  Tunbridge 
line,    proposed    extension,    242  ; 
London     West     End    terminus, 
Charing   Cross — advantages  of, 
242,  243,  company  formed  inde- 


448 


INDEX 


South-Eastem  Railway — continued, 
pendently,  238,  directors,  pledge 
of,  236,  238,  Parliamentary  Bill, 
239,  return  of  passengers  leaving 
London  Bridge  station,  237,  St 
Thomas's  Hospital  property, 
purchase  of,  arbitration,  240,  241, 
site,  choice  of,  237,  239,  241  ; 
Secretary  work  —  application, 
recommendations,  192,  appoint- 
ment, 193,  resignation,  262,  work, 
195,  209-212,  232;  Shakespeare 
Cliff  Tunnel  improvement,  207 

Southey — Elliott  on,  149  ;  legacy 
from  Telford,  253;  manufactures, 
nation  built  on,  120 ;  writing, 
rule  of,  216 

Soutman,  P.  K.,  portraiture  of,  311 

Spain — El  Evangelio  Social^  398- 
400;  fish  imported  from  Norway, 
369  ;  Life  of  George  Stephenson^ 
219;  race,  Iberians,  355 

Speech,  origin  of  nasal  twang,  313 

Speed,  J.  —  Enumeration  com- 
mittee, 114 

Spliigen  Pass,  journey  over,  328 

Staleybridge,  weavers'  strike,  120 

Standard  of  Buenos  Ayres,  review 
of  El  Evangelio  Social^  400 

Stanningley  strikes,  "  Sacred 
Month,"  122 

Stansfeld,  H. — Character,  92,  112; 
education  meeting,  speech,  167  ; 
Household  Suffrage  Association, 
formation  and  working,  91-96 

Staplehurst  railway  accident,  244 

Star^  see  Northern  Star 

State  Paper  Office — Publications  re 
Ireland,  127,  128  ;  research  work 
at,  250 

Statesman! s  Year-Book,  editor,  251 

Stavanger,  emigrants,  377 

Steam-engine,  invention  of,  249,  275 

Steam-hammer,  invention  of,  258, 
348 

Stelvio  Pass,  journey  over,  349 

Stephenson,  G. — Appearance,  135  ; 
biography,  see  title  Life  of  George 
Stephenson;  birthplace,  163  ; 
blast-pipe,  invention  of,  215  ; 
Chat  Moss,  191  ;  early  life,  179- 
182;  fireman,  life  as,  182,  183; 
locomotive,  275  ;  Leeds  to  Derby 
Railway,  opening,  135;  marriage, 
182  ;  moderate  means,  326;  Nor- 


Stephenson,  G. — continued. 

wegian  likeness  to,  371  ;  over- 
work, 261  ;  perseverance,  135, 
222  ;  popularity,  135,  182  ; 
"Rocket,"  prize  for,  160;  sketch 
of  life  for  Eliza  Cook's  Journal, 
161  ;  Stockton  to  Darlington 
Railway,  work  for,  185 

Stephenson,  R.  —  Congratulations 
to  Smiles  on  appointment  to 
South-Eastern  Railway,  193 ; 
death,  254  ;  father  George 
Stephenson,  Life  of — corre- 
spondence received  re,  218,  in- 
formation re,  162,  186-189,  207, 
314,  216;  iron  bridges,  informa- 
tion on,  248  ;  life  of,  254,  255  ; 
Lives  of  the  Engineers,  248  ; 
railway  companies,  unrestricted 
competition,  235  ;  visit  to,  217 

Stephenson,  R.  (senior) — Life  at 
Dewley  Burn,  181 

Stevens,  Rev.  Mr,  introduction  to, 

67 

Stewart,  R.,  "  Lauder  Raid,"  38-42 

Stilleben  auf  Sylt,  by  J.  Rodenberg, 
284 

Stobie  &  Younger,  Messrs,  law- 
agents,  "  Lauder  Raid,"  39-42 

Stockholm,  visit  to,  289,  292 

Stockport — Member,  Cobden  re- 
turned, 108  ;  strikes,  103 

Stockport  Mechanics'  Institute, 
prize  essays,  117 

Stockton  and  Darlington  Railway 
— Chat  Moss,  line  over,  190,  191  ; 
engineer,  J.  Dixon,  190  ;  Leeds 
and  Thirsk  Railway,  junction 
with,  158,  176;  projection  and 
construction,  work  of  G.  Stephen- 
son, 184-186,  215 

Stoer  River,  similar  name  in  Eng- 
land, 277 

Stories,  writing,  164 

Storms  —  Voyage  from  Leith  to 
Hull,  66  ;  Zuider  Zee,  314 

Story,  W.  W.,  verses,  266 

Stour  River,  name  similar  at  Wrist, 
277 

Strafford,  Lord,  Old  Houghton 
Hall,  148 

Strand  in  London  and  Bergen,  372 

Stranraer,  visit  to,  364 

Strath  Halladale,  visit  to,  321 

Stresa,  visit  to,  344 


INDEX 


449 


Strickland,  Sir  G.,  Suffrage  Festival 
speaker,  96 

Strikes — Article,  302  ;  manufactur- 
ing districts  1840,  103,  personal 
liberty,  174;  "Sacred  Month," 
120-123 

Success — Achieved  by  labour,  273  ; 
author,  success  as,  221  ;  literary 
success  a  lottery,  327;  persever- 
ance, 12,  326  ;  Sharpe  on,  394 

Suffolk  —  People  —  Dutch  resem- 
blances, 313,  Hamburg  inhabi- 
tants, resemblances  to,  277 ; 
speech,  origin  of  "nasal  twang," 

313 
Suffrage  Festival,  Holbeck,  95 
Suffrage  reforms  see  titles  Franchise 

and  Household  Suffrage 
Sugar  —  Dearness    of,    5  ;    duties, 

reduction  of  proposed,  99 
Sun^  "  Siege  of  Bolton,"  90 
Sunday  addresses  to  young  men, 

127 
Sunday  observance,  27 
Sunderland,  railway  service,  158 
Superstitions  among  the  Basques, 

356 
Swanwick,      Mr  —  Liverpool     and 

Manchester  Railway,  216 
Sweden  —  Journey    across,    292  ; 

Self-Help,    translation    of,    229, 

401 
Switzerland,  visit  to,  328,  349 
Sylt,  visit  to,  description,  283-288 
Syne,  Mr — Clinical  Surgery  classes, 

44 
Symons,  C,  Anti-Corn-Law  Asso- 
ciation speech,  1 1 1 


Tait'S  library,  30 

Takeda,  Hon.  G.,  translation  of 
Self-Help,  230 

Tambroni,  Signora,  Professor  of 
Greek,  344 

Tantallon  Castle,  22 

Taxation — Food,  5  ;  see  also  Corn- 
Laws 

Taylor,  Mrs  R.,  acquaintance  with, 
410,411 

Taylor's  History  of  Ireland,  127 

Tea,  dearness  of,  5 

Team  Valley,  railway  service,  176 

"  Technical  Education,"  lecture  on, 
264 


Telford,  T.— Life  of,  in  Lives  of  the 
Engineers,  extracts,  publication 
of,  381,  information  re,  250,  253  ; 
Life  of  Telford,  163  ;  moderate 
means,  326 ;  road  constructor, 
249 

Temperance — Articles  on,  161, 164  ; 
Cook,  Miss,  presentation,  164 ; 
Norwegian  liquor  licensing 
restrictions,  376 

Teniers — Pictures,  311 

Tennyson,  Lord,  Queen  of  Italy's 
admiration  for,  337 

Tester,  Mr — Certificate  of  char- 
acter, 200 ;  gold  robbery,  South- 
Eastern  railway,  202-206,  291  ; 
mutual  acquaintanceship,  291  ; 
Royal  Swedish  railway  manager, 
200,  291 

Testimonials,  65 

Teutonic  race,  characteristics,  320 

Thackeray,  Queen  of  Italy's  ad- 
miration for,  337 

Thames  River,  description  of 
voyage  up  mouth,  69-71 

Thankfulness,  cause  for,  384 

Thanksgiving  Service,  Westminster 
Abbey,  396 

The  Movement  —  Parliamentary 
election,  Leeds,  100 

Thirsk  Railway,  see  title,  Leeds  and 
Thirsk  Railway 

"Thirteen  Tribes,"  descendant  of, 
in  Gal  way,  361 

Thomasson,  Mr — Anecdote,  124 

Thompson,  Col.  P.  —  Anti-Corn- 
Law  League  speech,  no,  in  ; 
"  Siege  of  Bolton,"  90  ;  Suffrage 
Festival  speaker,  96 

Thomson,  J.,  cruel  treatment  of, 
by  P.  Hardie,  10 

Thorbjorn,  Frau,  stay  with,  374 

Thorne,  journey  to,  81 

Thrift  —  Canadian  infringement 
of  copyright,  case  of  Smiles  v. 
Belford,  308 ;  information,  re- 
search, 304,  305  ;  lack  of,  when 
a  boy,  19  ;  outcome  of  article  on 
"  Workmen's  Earnings  and  Sav- 
ings," 304  ;  publication  of,  308  ; 
reviews  and  critics,  etc.,  398- 
400,  409  ;  Socialist  Co-operative 
Societies,  107 ;  translations,  308, 

387,  389,  398 
Thurso,  visit  to,  321,  322 


450 


INDEX 


Ticknor  &  Fields,  Messrs,  re-pub- 
lication of  Self-Help,  223 

Tilbury  Fort,  river  scene,  70 

Timber — Duties,  reduction  of,  99  ; 
trade  between  Scots  and  Nor- 
wegians, 375 

Time,  use  of,  260 

Times — Cheapness  of,  171  ;  Craw- 
ford S.,  personal  affair  with,  117  ; 
Life  of  George  Stephenson,  articles 
on,  220  ;  liquor  traffic  and  agri- 
culture, Ireland,  360  ;  NasmyWs 
Autobiography,  review  of,  349 

Tinnum,  seat  of  the  "Thing," 
287 

Todrick,  T.,  friendship  with,  52 

Tolerance  of  English  Catholicism, 

337 
Toogood,  Mr,  parliamentary  agent, 

239 

Torquay,  residence  at,  401 

Tower  of  London,  pulDlic  admitted, 
102 

Town  councillor,  Haddington,  65 

Trade — Co-operation  movements, 
103-105  ;  literature  —  artisans, 
effect  of  trade  on  literary  habits 
of,  155,  compatibility  of  literary 
tastes  with  trade,  152-155 

Traill,  Mr,  sail  in  yacht,  322 

Travailleurs  de  la  Mer,  Victor 
Hugo,  288 

Travels,  writing  account  of,  164 

Trevi  Fountain,  Rome,  340,  395 

Trivulzio,  Marchesa  P. — Education 
of  Italy,  414 

Trollope,  Adolphus,  meeting  with, 
331  ;  Recollections,  26 

Trollope,  Anthony  —  Autobio- 
graphy, 2 

Trondhjem  —  Boats,  pattern  of 
Viking  boats,  369  ;  description  of, 
369  ;  people,  372  ;  voyage  to, 
368 

True  Sun,  editor,  64 

Tuatha  de  Dananns,  fight,  363 

Tullibody,  visit  to,  322 

Tullis  Hill,  climb,  39 

Tunbridge  Wells,  railway  service, 
242 

Turic,  Mirko — Translation  oi Char- 
acter, 295,  386 

Turin,  visit  to,  329 

Tumhurst,  visit  to,  250 

Tytherly,  Socialist  estate,  107 


Ullensvang,  visit  to,  375 

Unemployed,  Enumeration  Com- 
mittee, 114 

Universal  Suffrage,  Chartists'  de- 
mands, 90 

Utne,  stay  at,  374-377 

Utrecht,  visit  to,  310 


Vackovie,     N.  —  Translation    of 

ThHft,  387 
Valeri,  V.— Letter,  338 
Vaudois — Description    of   country 

in  The  Huguenots,  i'JT.  ;  visit  to 

Pastors  of  Dauphiny,  271,  328 
Vaughan,  Mr — Information  re   G. 

Stephenson,  216 
Venice — Amsterdam,  contrast  and 

comparison,  310 ;  congratulatory 

telegram,  411  ;  visit  to,  328,  344 
Vichy,  visit  to,  271 
Victor   Emmanuel — Independence 

of  Italy,  330,  333 
Victoria,  see  title  Queen  Victoria 
Victoria  on  the   Medway,  railway 

service,  243 
Vikings — Boats,   style   used,    369  ; 

study  of  people  of  Norway,  367 
Villari,     P.  —  Florentine     Album 

Presentation,  343  ;   introduction 

to,  342 
Villefranche,  visit  to,  408 
Villiers,  Corn-Laws,  109 
Vincent — Biography,  142 
"  Volere  h  Potere,"  by  M.  Sessona, 

345 
Voluntary  Education   versus   Na- 
tional, agitation  of  Church  and 
Dissent,  165-175 


Wagram  —  Translation    of   Self- 
Help,  229 
Wakefield — Buildings    resembling 
ones  in  Hamburg,  277  ;   coach- 
drive,  85 
Wakley — Conduct   in    parliament, 

117 
Walcheren,  visit  to,  317-320 
Wales — Silurians,  355  ;  visit  to,  365 
Walbottje,  Roman  road,  181 
Walker,  Mr,  offer  to  publish  Self- 

Help,  213 
Walking  tour,  67,  68,  69,  165 
Wall  Houses,  Roman  road,  181 


INDEX 


451 


Wallace,  Sir  R. — Paintings,  copy- 
ing, 300,  322 
Walmsley,  Sir  J. — Information  re 

G.  Stephenson,  216 
Walsend,  Roman  road,  181 
Walton,  Roman  road,  181 
Walwick,  Roman  road,  181 
Wapentake  muster,  147 
Warburton,  Corn- Laws,  109 
Ware,  visit  to,  250 
Warship  at  Flensborg,  description 

of,  288 
Warwick,  people  resembling  those 

of  Hamburg,  277 
Waterloo,  battle  of,  rejoicings,  4 
Watkin,  Sir  E. — Offer,  301 
Watling  street,  scenery,  144 
Watt,  James — articles  on,  248,  302, 
350  ;  birthplace,  250 ;   life  of  in 
Lives  of  the  Engineers — extracts, 
publication  of,  380,  information 
re^  251  ;  moderate  means,  326; 
steam  engine,  249,  275 
Wealth     and      industry.      Bishop 

Berkeley  on,  361 
Weavers'  strike,  Staleybridge,  120 
Wellington,    Duke   of — Peninsular 
War,  3,  355 ;  Premier,  retirement, 

Welsh,  Dr  J.,  remmiscences  of,  5 
Welsh,  Miss  J.,  see  Mrs  Carlyle 
Welsh,  Mrs,  reminiscences  of,  5,  6 
Wener  and  Wetter  Lakes,  voyage 

across,  289 
Wenningstedt,    neolithic    barrow, 

287 
Wentworth,  scenery,  147 
Westport,  visit  to,  364 
Westerland,  visit  to,  284,  287 
Westmeath,  pasture  land,  357 
Westminster        Abbey  —  Jubilee 

Thanksgiving  Service  of  Queen 

Victoria,  396 ;  public  admitted, 

102 
Westminster  Review^  editor,  75 
Weymouth,  Member,  J.  Hume,  loi 
Wharfedale,  railway  service,  139 
Wharncliffe,  scenery,  147 
Whately,     Archbishop,    education 

agitation,  171 
Wheat,  price  of,  87 
Whipping,  see  Flogging 
White,       Mr,       introduction       to 

daughter,  342 
Whitecross,  J.,  sketch  of  life,  60^ 


Whitehall,  visit  to,  364 
Whitehead,  Dr — LifeofCarruthers, 

327. 
Whittinghame,  visit  of,  22 
Whitworth — Stockton  to  Darling- 
ton Railway,  184 
Wick,  visit  to,  280,  321 
"Widows'    and    Orphans'    Fund," 

article,  142 
Wife — Drinking  the  waters,  397  ; 

goodness  of,  384  ;  marriage,  128 
Wilkins,    W.    W.,   research   work, 

251 
"Will  they  try  Corn,"  story  of  F. 

O'Connor,  90 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  portrait, 

312 
William  HI.— Contest  of  Athlone, 

357 

William  IV.,  accession  and  reign, 
396 

Williams,  Mr — Suffrage  Festival 
speaker,  96 

Williams,  Rev.  Mr — Voluntary  edu- 
cation, 168 

Wilhngton  Quay,  life  of  G, 
Stephenson  at,  183 

Wills,  W.  H.,  use  of  time,  261 

Wilson  G. — Invention,  14 

Wilson,  General  Sir  A.,  monument 
to,  25 

Wilson,  R. — Marriage,  14  ;  recol- 
lections of,  14 

Windermere,  sports  at  Grasmere, 
397 

"Witness  of  the  Psalms  to  Christ 
and  Christianity,"  publication  of 
extracts,  380 

Women — Aime- Martin's  ideas  on, 
52  ;  education  of,  in  Italy,  417  ; 
"  Factory  Women,"  article,  142  ; 
improvement  and  education  of, 
article,  142 ;  industrial  schools 
for  young  women,  article,  161  ; 
professors  at  Bologna  University, 
344  ;  research  work  by,  251  ; 
young  women,  articles  on,  165 

"  Wonders  of  the  Lawn,"  The,  by 
E.  EUiott,  83 

Wood,  J.,  obituary  notice,  51 

Wood,  N.,  connection  with  G. 
Stephenson,  184,  189,  193,  214 

Wood,  V^. —Self -Help,  influence  on 
life,  331  ;  visit  to,  331 

Wood-engraving,  revival  of,  180 


452 


INDEX 


Woodhouse — Lecture  on  "Educa- 
tion of  the  Working  Classes,"  134 

Woolwich  Arsenal  and  the  Egyp- 
tian Pasha,  story,  352  ;  dockyard 
wharf,  71 

Worcester — Member,  A.  Sherriffs, 
141 

Wordsworth,  lines  on  a  perfect 
woman,  337 

Working  classes  —  Banking  ac- 
counts, 303  ;  Benefit  Societies, 
see  that  title  ;  Chartists,  see  that 
title  ;  condition  of,  inquiries,  93, 
115  ;  Distress  prevailing,  j^?*?  that 
title  ;  education  of,  address,  131- 
134,  Self-Help^  see  that  title ; 
unemployed.  Enumeration  Com- 
mittee, 114,  115,  119 

"  Workmen's  Benefit  Societies," 
article,  105,  302 

"Workmen's  Earnings  and  Sav- 
ings," article,  302,  303 

World,  smallness  of,  illustrations, 
290-292,  342 

Wortley  strikes,  "Sacred  Month," 
122 

Wouverman's  pictures,  3 1 1 

Wren,  Sir  C. — Greenwich  Hospital, 

71 
Writing,  style,  S.  Smith   on,  216, 

217 
Wylam,  home  of  G.   Stephenson, 

163,  179 


Yankee,  derivation  of  word,  313 
Yarm,  railway  service,  141 
Yellowlees,  E.,  marriage,  14 
Yellowlees,  G.,  painting,  14,  26 


Yellowlees  family,  visit  to,  48 

York,  visit  to,  179,  365 

York  and  Newcastle  Railway,  junc- 
tion with  Leeds  and  Thirsk  Rail- 
way, 158,  176;  amalgamation, 
176 

York  and  North  Midland  Rail- 
way, amalgamation  with  Leeds 
Northern,  176,  177  ;  general 
manager,  141 

Yorkshire  —  Education  agitation, 
165-175  ;  libraries,  evidence  be- 
fore select  committee,  155, 
itinerant  hbraries,  143,  156  ; 
railway  service,  139  ;  strikes, 
"Sacred  Month,"  120-123 

Yorkshire  Union  of  Mechanics' 
Institutes,  itinerant  libraries,  156 

Young  Men's  Anti  -  Monopoly 
Society,  Anti-Corn-Law  League, 

113 

Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, lecture  to,  on  Huguenots, 
265  ;  Moore,  G.,  addresses,  323 

"Young  Men's  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Societies,"  article,  161 


sea 


Zealand,  battle  of,  317 
Zeeland — Struggle      against 

encroachment,  319 
Zoppola,     Count     G. — Irish    tour, 

356-364 
Zuider  Zee — Inundation  of  the  sea 
separating  Friesland  and  North 
Holland,  313  ;  reclaiming  land, 
project,  315  ;  shallowness  of, 
312  ;  storm,  1877,  damage  done, 
315 


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